Western story
by atomicseasoning
Summary: The story of one girl's journey into a new life.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter **1**

A stiff wind was blowing across the deck of the ship that would take them to the New World. Megan felt it as she climbed onto the deck along with her little sister Heather, who gripped strongly to her sister's hand despite being young. Megan led them across the deck and down into the lower level where passengers in steerage would travel for this journey, although she could see the other passengers who would be traveling in the proper cabins on the upper levels. Megan wished they could travel in the upper levels, but she knew that it was all her brother could do to afford the steerage tickets to send her sister and herself to the United States from their homeland of Ireland after the death of their parents so recently.

Their brother was older than them, by less than a decade, but he already had a wife and three bairnes to care for and could little afford to house his younger sisters. Although nearly fifteen, Megan still looked several years younger and with the care needed for her seven year old sister, Heather, who was blind and partially deaf, she thought she couldn't consider working outside the home or to marry, although her sister-in-law Katie tried to push her burly and course older brother on her. Megan didn't care for Katie's brother and thought that he was too much of a bawdy slob, so she was pleased when her own brother Aiden had been able to purchase the tickets for the journey.

The girls walked down the stairs and were able to find an area in steerage where they would be able to hopefully ride out the journey in relative peace. Megan motioned for Heather to lay on one of the few available bunks to sleep, while she went around to investigate the rest of the travelers. There were men, women, and children of all ages gathered in groups doing various tasks about the ship.

Megan watched as one woman did her mending and rocked her baby in a sling. She walked up to the woman and asked her her name, to which the woman replied that she was named Peg and that her children were Myra and Liam. Meg thought that the children were little dears, although a bit noisy, although when Peg learned that Megan had a little sister she suggested that she take the children over to meet her. Megan did that, but unfortunately the other children didn't know what to think when they learned that Heather was blind and deaf.

For the rest of the trip Megan and Heather stayed together for the most part, enduring the ships food on the bad days and enjoying it somewhat on the good days. Every morning they walked around the top deck so that they could experience the ocean the best ways possible. Even if Heather was blind and deaf, Megan felt that her sister's mind was still constantly busy and needed to be occupied, so she felt that the daily trips around the deck were a necessary therapy. Megan would often notice the curious stares of the other passengers, as well as the crew, but she tried to ignore them as much as possible for her sister's sake.

One day, while walking the deck, Megan noticed a young sailor standing off to the side, just staring out into the ocean. She would've ignored him, except that when they walked by him, Heather bumped his cap off. _ "Oops _sorry..." Megan whispered under her breath as they walked by. She stooped down to pick up the young sailor's cap, but he bent down at the same time. _ "Oh it tis fine lass, no problem...How'dya do ma'am my name's Gaz, what's yours then?_" the lad asked, his eyes sparkling a brilliant blue, while his dark hair caught ever so slightly in the wind.

_"Oh sorry sir, my name's Megan and this here's my sister Heather." "We're sorry we disturbed you right then._" Megan said trembling slightly. Gaz gave her a cheeky smile then and said _"Oh it weren't no bother to me. Still though what's up with your sister? Cat got her _tongue?" Megan stared back at the boy and shook her head, replying_ "No the child is just blind and deaf, tis all. Nothing to worry about." "Oh okay whatever you say, just be careful taking the child around the ship, or else she'll fall in and will be swimming with the mermaids!_" Gaz said with a twinkle in his eye. _ "Oh you've got to be kidding now aren't you?_" Megan said exasperatedly._ "Oh I might be or I might not be...Alright yes of course I am kidding..., but I did get you there for a few minutes now didn't!?"_ Gaz joked.

Megan didn't think he was that funny, but she enjoyed his company, so she stuck around him while she showed her different aspects of the ship and his job on it. He also treated her well, more like a brother closer to her own age, which was something she'd missed as of late in her dealings with Heather. So then every day for over a week Megan sought out Gaz from the other sailors to visit with for a while and in the end their developing friendship was one of the aspects to daily life on the ship that she looked forward to every day.

One night though there was a fierce storm on the ocean which rocked the ship to and fro on large waves. The storm woke many of the passengers up, including Megan and Heather, but in the end the ship and most of the travelers faired quite well. Megan went up to the main deck the next day to look for Gaz, the ship's crew approached her and told her that most likely during the storm her friend and their fellow crew member Gaz had been lost at sea. This news broke Megan's heart, but she didn't want to appear with anything less that a stiff upper lip, especially since she still had her sister to take of.

When she got back to her bunk, she cried to herself, until she remembered what Gaz had told her once told her, how she had to see the beauty in life, although she wondered why he didn't tie himself to the mast before the storm could end. Sometimes there just weren't things you could explain, so perhaps this was one of them. When Peg found her, she also attempted to reassure her that the good Lord has his time and place for the events that happen in one's life.

The rest of the trip went by fairly quickly after that, with some people talking to her, while others ignored Megan and Heather as they continued to make their daily trips around the ship to breathe in the sea air and experience the vast horizon that could be seen as they continued to sail all the further westward.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

After a few delays, set by storms, illness by some of the passengers, and a variety of other reasons, the ship finally docked in the New York Harbor. The sun glinting off the sea cast a welcome glow; however, the rest of the harbor looked more than a bit impressive to most of the passengers. Megan found her sister and gathered all of their belongings together in several tidy bundles, which she tied to herself and her sister as they made their way through the crowds disembarking from the ships.

There was an immigration station that they had to check with first, so they waited in the buildings there while the doctors asked them questions about where they were from, why they'd, what diseases they'd had, and so forth. The officials almost didn't want to allow Heather entry; however by the grace of God, she was permitted entry at the last instance.

Megan breathed a sigh of relief when her sister was allowed entry. She didn't even want to fathom what it would've meant to travel the entire journey and then not be permitted entrance into the States. After her sister has affirmed by the officials, Megan collected all of their belongings and carried her sister as best she could from the immigration office, out into the cold. The two girls walked for quite awhile until they found the building their great aunt lived in.

The building was an older brick structure which needed repair and slightly better maintained, but was otherwise solid. The two girls crept up the stairs until they found their aunts apartment. Their aunt was a rather elderly woman who had to use a cane, but she joyfully admitted the girls could join her for a cup of tea and stay as long as they like.

The ability to stay cleared away any doubts that the girls had about a place to stay. It was good to be able to put down roots again, even if it was in a tiny city apartment. In fact, the girls soon discovered that their aunt's apartment was so small it had only one bed in one bedroom. Their aunt at first offered the bed to the two sisters, but then Meghan decided that their aunt needn't give up her own bed for them, that instead the better idea was to have Heather and their aunt share the bed, while Megan slept on the divan in the front room. She decided this because Megan knew that she needed a job to help with their aunt's added living expenses now that she and her sister would be living with her.

It was for this reason that Megan was able to acquire her job at the textile mill. She really didn't like having to deal with all of the bobbins and pins spinning so severely to produce the threads needed for the cloth woven by the mill. The noise was also an annoyance, but Megan dealt with it as best as she could, thinking again how she was helping her aunt stay solvent and keep her apartment.

Sometimes while working, Megan heard other girls talk about how the west was expanding most readily and that many wanted to be able to get out of the mills, marry up, and raise a family out west. A few of them even joked about answering one of the mail-order-bride ads placed in the papers by lonely cowboys. Megan thought that was an interesting idea, but she still felt too young to attempt anything such as that, let alone she had Heather to worry about, which was an addition she was certain no lonely westerner would agree to take on as well.

Megan, Heather, and their elderly aunt lived peacefully and in the same routine for nearly a year, until their aunt's health began to decline. Megan realized that the added stress of seeing to Heather's needs was probably something their aunt couldn't take much longer, but there was little Megan could do, especially with her shifts at the factory.

Then one day soon afterward, Megan came home to the apartment to discover Heather had made a mess of the place and was sleeping peacefully under the table. She quietly tidied up the kitchen area and picked up the living room area as well as she could, then she walked into her aunt's bedroom only to discover that her aunt had apparently passed away earlier in the day, and had fallen to the floor, where her body still laid.

Megan was shocked and saddened by the discovery, so much that a neighbor lady came around and saw the situation, then contacted the authorities. The police came around and accessed the situation themselves, and had the coroner take the body away to the morgue to be later buried in a pauper's grave. Then the authorities realized that the girls were more or less orphaned and should be taken to an orphanage, but Megan assured them that she had a job at the mill and that she should be able to provide for their needs with her wage. The police let it rest there, and then went on their way since there seemed to be more pressing criminal issues to deal with right then.

Despite what she told the police, Megan didn't know how they would manage, other than by taking a second shift at the mill and having the neighbor watch her sister during the day. And so that was what Megan and Heather did then for two months after their aunt's death. Megan worked as much as she could at the textile mill, while Heather stayed with Mrs. O'Toole and her children.

Two months to the day, nearly, of their aunt's sudden death, Megan was working on her shift at the mill, when suddenly several of the bobbins came loose. The threads snapped out like whips, and before she could do anything about it, they cut off parts of several of her fingers. This accident not only severed parts to several of Megan's fingers, but also severed her career at the textile mill. Although the mill paid her initial medical expenses, they felt that she had not been paying attention, so she was at fault. This they used as their excuse why they would not repay her renumeration for the accident and thus let her go because she was physically unable to perform the work.

In the meantime, Megan learned during her convalescence that Mrs. O'Toole, who was supposed to be caring for her sister, had actually been looking into institutions to admit Heather into mainly because the young girl's disabilities were too much for her to handle. Megan then spent the next several weeks resting and trying to heal her hands and mutilated fingers, all the time knowing that the rent was due soon and there was hardily anything to pay it with. She tried to sell some of her aunt's things, but they proved to be either of little value, or the creditors took what they could to pay off their aunt's debts. When Megan realized they would soon be homeless, she didn't know from where help would come next.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

It was with heavy hearts the next week that Megan helped Heather pack all of their belongings into several pieces of cloth that they tied around themselves, and then stole out into the streets before the people from the state institution could arrive to get Heather, or the people from the county orphanage or worse could get herself.

Megan had met up with a few street children who lived a hard scrabble existence on the streets either out of necessity or opportunity. Despite the hard luck stories, Megan felt like these children led a noble life representing their personal needs.

Noble or not, Megan soon realized that life on the streets truly was a hardscrabble existence where dog eat dog. Megan did her best to shelter her sister from much of it as she could, while Megan's new friends sheltered her from the cruelest elements. The friends didn't want what innocence the girls still possessed to be robbed from them, so they found little "jobs" for them to do that didn't lead them to the risk of the worst crimes.

One day, Megan was out selling matches on the street corner, when suddenly a lady in along blue dress came by and Megan thought that she might make a sale, when suddenly her sister Heather came up her and began to pull at her. Megan began chastising her sister and that her potential customer had surely left, when suddenly the woman came up to her.

"Hello girls, I see you have a bit of an argument going on here, may I help?"

"No ma'am, we're fine. My sister just doesn't know her place anymore, so I just have to take care of her. You don't need to bother us." Megan said nervously trying to calm Heather.

"Oh but I insist, my name is Mrs. Charles Loring Brace, Letitia Brace, and I was wondering where you girls might live, if anywhere?" Mrs. Brace said as she approached the girls even further.

"Well ma'am if it's all the same, we'd rather not say. You're a stranger and some of our friends told us not to talk to stylish women, in case she might be a Madame...if you know what I mean...oops I think I admitted too much." Megan babbled nervously.

"Well young lady you have nothing of the sort to worry about in that manner with me. As I said before, I am Mrs. Letitia Brace, and my husband and I run a Christian Children's Aid Society. I think we might be able to help your sister too." Mrs. Brace said with a pleasant smile.

"Well I hope it's not like those institutions like what our neighbor wanted to send my sister to! Dreadful places, with little personal care!" Megan countered inquisitively.

"We do have a large house where some of the children live for a time, however my husband and I have began a program where we place orphans from the cities into loving homes in the West where extra hearts and extra hands are always needed." Mrs. Brace explained.

"How do you get the children to their new families? Is it like a mail-order-catalog?" Megan asked.

"Oh not quite, but good question. We go in groups of about eighty children and travel by train from the East all of the way to the West, until we reach the West Coast in California. Once we travel past the border between Missouri and Kansas the opportunities become available for most of our adoptions, and we've been able to place most of our children by the time we reach California." she explained.

"That sounds good, although are there any limits or requirements or anything?" Megan asked curiously.

"Well typically we want children to be able to be on their best behavior for potential adoptions, so we may have to work with your sister...although I know one family who's taken a few of our hard to place children before... and typically most of our children are up until the age of 15 or 16. Much older than that, especially with girls, you get into a gray area...but we don't need to worry about that do we?" she explained and inquired.

"Oh no no...no worries there...Yeah I'm almost 15..." Megan inadvertently lied, though mainly to be able to be with her sister. She feared that if her sister was able to ride the Orphan Train without her, that wouldn't do. Heather needed her, and Megan was sure God could forgive the lie about her age, especially if it meant keeping the sisters together.

And so, Megan & Heather, along with several of the other street children, were rounded up and taken to Christian Children's Aid Society of New York, to be readied for the next trip westward on the Orphan Train.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Megan and Heather spent nearly two months at the Christian Children's Aid Society house, living there, adjusting to the routines of the house, and preparing for the next trip West that the Orphan Train would be taking. The next trip would be leaving Boston in late August, and returning in early November. The trip previous to this one had been too soon after Megan and Heather had first arrived, and the staff agreed that they needed to work with Heather longer before she would be ready to travel.

Every day while at the house, Megan went downstairs to the room where Heather and another little girl named Helen were receiving their lessons and behavior modification exercises. Some of the activities, such as learning to sit still, learning to feed, and dress oneself were things that Megan thought that a young child would usually learn, however she could see the benefit Heather was getting out of the lessons, even if her progress seemed slow.

Megan also met two other girls closer to her 'age', although they were in reality, closer to about 12, named Mary and Hilary. Both of these girls shared a room with Megan on the second floor, and for the most part all of the girls got along pretty well. Mary and Hilary were quick pals because both had attended the same church before their parents had died.

Their stories were interesting too, Mary had grown up with only her mother, since her father had died when she was three, and she and her mother had gotten along pretty well by themselves, her mother had worked as a maid for a large estate in Boston, until she became suddenly ill herself and passed away when Mary was only eleven. Hilary's parents had both been quite prominent in their church, with her father even being the pastor of a large congregation. Hilary's parents had been killed in a freak buggy accident when they'd been out visiting some of their parishioners, and fortunately Hilary hadn't been along for the ride. Since she had been a preacher's daughter, Hilary always tried to act like it was her mission to save the world, but her 'holier than thou' attitude was more off putting than not at times.

After a few weeks of rooming together, Megan realized that Mary was often the target of Hilary's jealous barbs, and this was especially true when both girls seemed to notice a young boy named Pat who they both seemed to pursue. From what Megan could see, Pat seemed to like Mary better than Hilary, and that was where her jealous streak would come out. Megan tried to call her out on it once, but Hilary just retorted back that she was a 'papist' and had probably misquoted the verse on jealousy. After that Megan thought she'd just keep a safe distance and view the whole drama from afar, since she could still remember being twelve, but didn't want to have to really relive it again.

After about two months of living in the house, the drama of Hilary & Mary arguing over Pat, and checking up on Heather's progress in her special intervention classes, and helping around the house in general, Megan was glad when Mrs. Brace came in to make an announcement.

"Children, I have gathered you all here to make an announcement. Today I have the list of everyone who is to ride the next Orphan Train west to be placed in loving homes. These children are expected to be on their best behavior for the length of the trip, so that they can be shining examples of what this home stands for. The names I have are as follows; Mary Adams, Patrick Cleburne, Hilary Faden, Megan & Heather Mellody, Chip..."

And on she read until she had read over a dozen names of children who would be traveling on the next Orphan Train in only two weeks time. Megan was glad that both she and her sister would be able to travel together, since traveling without Heather or mainly leaving her behind was her biggest fear. Megan also couldn't help but chuckle when Hilary and Mary squealed a bit when they realized that Patrick would be traveling along as well. She could only hope that the girls didn't cause trouble to each other as they traveled, and tried to attract Patrick's attention. For all Megan knew, with those girls, and her sister, to contend with, it would be one interesting trip.

The two weeks spend by rather quickly, and before they knew it, the children were at the train station, boarding the locomotive that would take them on to their new lives out west. Megan had made sure to braid her hair and her sister's hair into two pigtails, as was required by the rules for travel, listed in the Christian Children's Aid Society handbook, which all of the older children had been given a copy of. The girls were also all given white blouses and waist less shift pinafores, stockings, and sturdy shoes, while the boys had matching shirts and trousers. These were the uniform that the Society had created, to make the children appear more uniform, and to make them easier to pick out in a crowd.

Megan didn't know what to think of the pinafore dress, especially since she was finally just starting to hit puberty a bit physically, although she hope that she'd be able to go unquestioned about her real age a bit longer yet. Girls who were "early bloomers" were not that uncommon, even as a young teen, so she would just give that as an excuse if anyone asked.

Along with Mr. & Mrs. Brace, there were a number of other matrons designated to travel with the group. These women, along with others who would meet them along the way, were supposed to keep track of the children while they traveled. The children were divided into groups of two or three, mostly by age and gender. As luck would have it though Heather was put into a group with Helen and one other girl, while Megan was assigned to travel with Mary, Hilary, and another girl named Karen. Megan didn't know what to think at first, but then saw that it was one of Heather's teachers who was traveling with her group, so she felt a bit better.

The train started out then, with a loud groan, and a puff of smoke. Megan looked out of the window as they pulled out of the station, glancing back at what would most likely be her last glimpse of Boston in a long while. Then she looked down at her hands, now scarred from where they'd been mangled at the mill. She shook her head and thought about all of the changes that had taken place within the past year and a half. From leaving Ireland to come to New York, to then living with her elderly aunt who soon passed away, taking care of Heather, her injury, living in the street, living at the Children's Aid Society house, and now traveling on a train westward to more adventures and a new life. What would the next eighteen months hold for her? She had no idea. She also wondered, would anyone want to take on Heather, let alone even she now that her hands were damaged some? Somehow she knew only God knew the answer, so she said a silent prayer to herself as she flipped an auburn braid over one shoulder and rested her forehead against the glass to take a nap.

The journey had begun, and what a journey it was. The group stuck together up through Chicago, but then Mr. & Mrs. Brace received some news that made them cut their trip short and leave the group. Past Chicago, and from St. Louis onward, the train made a number of stops at towns along the way. The routine soon became that the children were herded out on the train and made to stand in two lines, with the oldest children in the back and the youngest children in front.

Perspective families would approach the group and inspect the children as one would cattle at a market. Megan, as well as some of the other older children, found it a bit demeaning, but they kept quiet and behaved themselves because they knew any of the families who approached them were potential parents. Usually during the stops at least one child was adopted by the perspective families, which pleased the Society, but in all it was a slow process. A few times people would look over Heather and Megan, but when they saw Megan's hands or learn of Helen's disabilities, they would pass them by.

After a few weeks, they were approaching Colorado, when suddenly Megan and Karen became ill and had to be quarantined in another car on the train. By this time, Mary and Hilary had both been placed in new homes, so the two ill girls were set apart to heal from their illness. It was for this reason that they missed several of the stops, including the one at Denver where Mike & Julie Ross, the couple who had adopted several other special needs children earlier, adopted Heather and Helen. Heather and Helen were the Ross's sixth and seventh children, although several of the oldest ones had already been able to leave home already to attend two separate universities, including Gaulladette College in the east.

After being ill for nearly a week, Megan and Karen were able to rejoin the remaining children in the car they'd been traveling in together. Megan spied the carriage and began counting the children, when she realized that her sister was no longer on the train. Panicked, she approached one of the matrons, a woman she'd never seen before, and began asking questions.

"Hello ma'am, my name is Megan Melody and I've been traveling with the group from the Orphan Train since Boston. I was recently ill until earlier today when I rejoined the group, and now I'm wondering if you know where my sister is?"

"Your sister you say? Well I've only been traveling with the group for the group since Denver, but as far as I know I'm not sure if I know about your sister...Lets see, what's her name?"

"It's Heather Mellody, ma'am." Megan said.

"Well let's see...Heather...Yes, what I can say is that she was adopted by a family, but I can't give you any more information because it's confidential, I'm sorry." the woman explained.

"What do you mean it's confidential? My sister was adopted and you can't even give me any more information?! I don't believe this?" Megan gasped.

"I'm sorry young lady but those are the rules. I'm sure that your sister is in a better place now. Be glad that she found a home and pray that you will be blessed as well." the woman explained.

Saddened by this news, Megan went over to her seat and began to cry. She didn't know what to do now that her sister was gone. She just prayed then that her sister was in a good placement, and that somehow, someway, she'd be able to see her again.

Karen noticed Megan's sadness, and told her that she would be her friend. Megan appreciated that, and so they became fast friends, until at the next stop Karen was adopted out by a family who needed an extra pair of hands to help with a baby.

Megan looked down at her hands and became sad again that no one would want her now, especially with her mangled hands. They only had two more stops before they reached California and would have to turn back again. And so the next few stops proved fruitless as well, so by the time they reached California, there were still three children left who had not had homes.

Their stop in California lasted only two days, and the train turned around to head back to New York again. Megan thought it was interesting to be able to see the Pacific Ocean if only briefly, but she knew that somehow she had to find her sister. At every stop she asked about her sister, but no one knew anything new. What Megan didn't realize was that the train only made half as many stops on the return trip, so the stop where her sister had been adopted at wasn't even revisited.

The next stop they were going to make was going to be in a small town, just over the line into southern Wyoming, and it would be one of the few they would be stopping at on this return trip. Megan hoped and prayed that something good would come out of it. It had to, she felt, it just had to.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Josh and Jack Ericsson loaded their wagon for their return trip from town as Josh's wife Alena instructed them from the side of the wagon. It had only been three years since Josh and his wife Alena, along with Josh's younger brother Jack, had traveled all the way from Ohio to set up a homestead on land in southern Colorado, which he'd gotten from the Homestead Act. The journey in the covered wagon wasn't easy, especially for two men and woman, and one man only not quite eighteen at the time, but somehow they made it through to their plat.

At least 40 acres of prime farmland was his to do with as they desired, and they'd made good on their opportunity by at first building a soddy and tilling most of the farmland themselves. The next year a cabin was built to replace the soddy, which was then turned into a storage shed, and a loft built into the cabin for Jack to sleep in, while Josh and Alena got the downstairs of the otherwise one room cabin. They were able to add a barn and more animals the next year, which only improved things for them. Now, after three years, Alena told them she was going to have a baby, a blessing for all.

Alena's pregnancy was not without it's complications, since Alena was such a delicate woman to begin with. It was a miracle that she had been feeling well enough today to accompany them to town to pick up the supplies they'd needed for the on-coming winter. It was also because of Alena's delicate condition that they'd discussed getting a housekeeper of some sort to help her with the household chores around the house and their small farm.

While the men were packing the supplies in the wagon, Alena suddenly mentioned that she'd forgotten to pick up one item from the general store, so she decided to go back for it. Josh then decided to accompany his wife back into the store, leaving Jack outside with the wagon. Suddenly he remembered the newspaper office where he knew his brother & sister-in-law had wanted to place an advertisement for the housekeeper. He was walking toward the newspaper office, when he heard and saw the train come in.

Being a bit curious about the train and its passengers, Jack decided to stop at the depot to check things out. While he waited he saw a few children all dressed alike, walk off the train and stand in line on the station platform. For some reason unknown, the children piqued his curiosity.

This was the next stop, and Megan knew she had to look presentable, or at least that was what the latest matron had told her. To Megan though it was yet another unnamed town where people would probably just look her over, tell her she had a pretty face, but that her hands were no good.

Then there were the bristly old men who just leered at her with bloodshot eyes and scraggly yellowed teeth, who kept asking about her age or if the cat had gotten her tongue when they asked her rather rude questions. Usually the matrons were able to keep men like that at bay, but still over the past while, Megan had began to lose herself in her own thoughts of her sister and so forth.

She had just began to do that, when she suddenly looked up and saw a young man, only a few years older than herself, staring at their group from his perch on the board sidewalk. From what she saw of him, he seemed better looking than some men she'd seen. She kept an eye on where he walked, until she realized he was approaching their group.

Megan stared down at her hands and shoes, trying to take her thoughts off of the young man and began to look at her scuffed shoes and scarred hands, thinking of her sister and wondering what she was up to. Suddenly she felt a presence and saw boot toes come right up and nearly touch the toes of her shoes. Then she heard someone clear his throat, and she looked up to see the you man she'd seen earlier.

"Oh oh my..." was all she could get out before he interrupted her.

"Ah so you can speak! That's good, because we were told to ask you your names...but before you say, let me guess...Is your name Mildred?" he playfully asked.

"No!" she shook her head.

"I see, not Mildred. How about Diana?" he asked again.

"No..." she smiled.

"Wrong again? Well what is your name?" he inquired.

"My name is Megan Mellody." she answered.

"Well pleased to meet you Megan Mellody, my name is John Ericsson, but you can just call me Jack. Uh can I just call you Meg then?" he inquired.

"Sure if you want to." she answered.

"Well Meg, I've come here to ask you if you're good with housework and children at all, because I could use your help." he asked, his right eye squinting slightly.

"Yes I've taken care of babies before, my sister and other relatives, yes. By the way how can I be of help?" she inquired curiously.

"Well my situation is this, my sister-in-law has been ill for most of her pregnancy and she needs someone to help her with the housework and some of the chores until she feels better, as well as possibly help her some with the baby when it's born while my brother and I work the farm. We was going to place an ad in the paper for a housekeeper, but when I saw this here Orphan Train, I thought to myself that it might be an answer to prayer. So I was wondering if you'd like to be a foster child of my brother and sister-in-law and you can take care of my nephew, like a little sister." he explained, as he pointed to a couple in their early thirties, who were standing off to the side, watching Jack make his appeal to Megan.

"Be a foster little sister?...Yes I guess I could do that." she answered him.

"Good, I'll be back with the papers in a bit, and then we can be on our way." he answered as he walked off toward Josh and Alena, whistling a happy tune.

Megan didn't know what to think of that guy, Jack, who just said she was an answer to his prayers. She supposed she could be his sister, although it would take some getting used to with his teasing ways sometimes.

Jack didn't know what to think of Megan, or Meg as he already liked to think of her as. Yes she certainly would be an answer to his prayers as far as keeping the cabin cleaned and helping Alena. She would also make an interesting little sister, and he knew he'd have fun picking on her with her red braids and all, but there was something about her that he couldn't place, though he knew he'd discover it sooner or later.

Jack walked over to Josh and Alena to explain his actions as best he could.

"So Jack, are you chatting up another girlfriend? They're getting younger everyday, aye?" Josh teased.

"Nah it's nothin' like that! I was trying to find help for Alena here..." Jack exclaimed.

"Oh really? Well you're too kind, Jack, at least when you want to be..."Josh asked skeptically.

"Oh Josh, let the boy be! His heart's in the right place. And anyway, I'd forgotten about the Orphan Train coming through..." Alena said.

"Yeah, that little gal probably could be a help to Alena especially now. D'ya think she's of a good sort?" Josh asked.

"Oh she looks like she'd be a good helper, though she looks a little shy..." Alena said.

"Oh I think she'll work out fine. So are you going to adopt her then?" Jack asked.

"Yeah we'll take her, where do we go for the forms?" Josh commented.

Josh and Alena went over to the woman who was dealing with the foster care papers and asked that one be drawn up for Megan. The woman questioned them, but after giving satisfactory answers and knowing that Megan had yet to be placed out, she quickly drew up the documents and said that he'd have to get them notarized and signed by a lawyer or a judge to make Megan their legal ward. Then she produced another document, which listed Megan's age as thirteen, and a bit of her background information, which was scant at best.

After getting the documents, Jack walked back to the platform where Megan was standing, held out his hand, which she grabbed, said "Alright Meg, time to go" as heled her to his wagon, where he introduced her to Josh and Alena. Meg was pleased to meet them and shook their hands when they made their introductions and said they had to be on their way. Suddenly Jack picked her up and placed her in the bed of the wagon and he climbed into the wagon next to her, then Josh flipped the reins on his horses, and they were on their way out of town.

They'd only traveled a short way, when Jack asked Meg again about her life, to which she opened up to him about some of the events that had recently happened in her life. She even told about her concern for her sister, which he agreed was an unfortunate loss.

"My goodness Meg, you've certainly had quite the life so far for someone so young. My your sister must be quite the tyke even yet."

"Well she's not really a tyke anymore, though I still think of her that way sometimes...Oh by now she'd be probably over eight years old by now..." she admitted offhand.

"Really? And I though you just said you were nearly eight when she was born?" he inquired, his right eyebrow lifting briefly.

"Yeah I was almost eight when she was...oops!" Meg said suddenly embarrassed.

"Uh Meg, how old are you? Really, be honest..." he whispered.

"Well uh, okay we're not with the Christian Children's Aid Society anymore...Jack I'll be honest with you, I just turned 16 last week." Meg admitted, then looked down.

She glanced up and saw Jack staring at her, with an odd expression momentarily pass over his face, the she straightened up, cleared his throat and said,

"You're sixteen? Not thirteen, but sixteen? Well...that's interesting to say the least. I guess you're a little closer to my age then...but I guess you can still be my niece, even we're barely five years apart...because I'm only 21.

" You're only twenty-one? Oh that's interesting..." Meg commented.

Josh and Alena had missed most of Jack and Meg's conversation, particularly the part where she'd admitted to Jack her real age, so they asked her again about her previous life.

Meg gave her story again, being more careful about her age, then asked "...So anyway what's this about you needing help?"

"Well it's not much more than what we said earlier, given her delicate condition and how she's felt for most of her pregnancy, Alena could use your help around the house, from now through after the baby is born. Even so we intend to treat you as our own daughter " Josh said, while glancing back at her.

"Oh yes I'll be glad to help you. I've cared for invalid people before, although I don't know how well I'll do with my hands the way they are... " Megan said slightly panicked.

"Oh well I don't think that will matter that much. And don't worry, I'm sure we'll get along fine." Alena whispered to her from her seat in the front.

"Oh, okay. If you say so...I hope all goes well then. I'm glad for my new family." Meg said, excitedly.

"Good, good...we're glad for you too, Megan." they said.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

They rode along in silence for a good while, both lost in their own thoughts. Meg's attention kept wandering between glancing down at her hands, occasionally glancing up at Jack, thinking about her sister, and thinking about her current situation.

What type of a situation had she gotten herself into? Becoming the foster child of a couple seemed nice enough, but who also wanted her for the help she could give, and the niece of a somewhat handsome young man who was barely five years older than herself. Yes he wasn't that bad to look at, but since leaving town, he'd taken on a serious demeanor suddenly. Would her new family be easy to get along with, especially Jack? Plus he was so tall, far taller than her Pa had been, or her older brother Aiden for that matter. Thinking of her brother, she suddenly remembered how Jack had said that he'd treat her like a brother if she'd rather, which she thought was kind. She also hoped that his nephew would be easy to care for, and that she could bring as much comfort to Alena as possible, although after the times her sister had given her, almost anything would be easier.

At the same time, Jack was thinking about his current situation. Glancing over at Meg, he just shook his head and thought about how this day had turned out quite differently than he'd first imagine. What had he just done? He had considered posting an advertisement in the paper for a housekeeper, but instead, via the Orphan Train no less, he'd acquired a niece or sister? And what a young thing she was, and quite shy. Even after talking about herself earlier, she'd now grown quiet, would he be able to get her out of her shell?

Jack even wondered if the story she told about being sixteen was even true, but if it wasn't he'd steer clear of any thoughts of her in an intimate matter, at least for awhile. He'd definitely just give it time and see how well she got along in his cabin. He also hoped she liked the cabin, despite its small size. At least he still had his loft...which would be mighty cold once winter set in. Ah he wondered how that would go...but he'd deal with that issue when the time came.

Jack heard Meg sigh a bit and asked her, "Is there anything wrong? Penny for your thoughts."

"Oh I'm fine Jack, I guess.." she sighed.

"Do you have any questions? About the farm or anything else?"

"Yes, maybe...H-How far is it from here?"

"Oh it's a fer piece from here yet, but to be more exact, it's about ten miles or so from town."

"Ten miles?"

"Haha, yeah it's a bit of a ways, but so's most everywhere else." he chuckled.

Meg just looked away and stared off in the distance, pulling her bonnet tighter around her head. Jack just shook his head, sighed, and they traveled on in silence, while Josh and Alena chatted off and on. Obviously something was on Meg's mind, and he could scarcely imagine what might be troubling her, although he did consider that maybe she was worried about either her hands, her sister, or their sudden relationship, such as that was.

Little did Jack realize, those were exactly the thoughts Meg had been having. She was worried about what had happened to her sister, what Jack's thoughts on her disabled hands were, and what his expectations about their relationship really were. She didn't know if he was just like every other guy, or if he'd treat her well. So far he'd held his word and not tried anything forceful or underhanded, but she'd just have to keep an eye out for him, to see what he'd do next. She didn't mind though feeling his warm presence bump against her on occasion as they rode along in relative silence, along the dirt trail across the fields.

Suddenly she decided to ask who all the land around them belonged to, to which Jack went on about how this field belonged to this neighbor and that farm belonged to that farmer. Meg just leaned back listening to Jack talk as she decided to relax. Without even realizing it, Meg soon began to doze and was soon leaning against Jack, which he didn't mind. He just put his arm around her slightly and patted her shoulder.

Soon though their wagon came to a stop, and Jack gently tapped her on the shoulder.

"Time to wake up Meg."

"Oh I'm sorry did I fall asleep? I hope I didn' botha ya." she said slightly startled.

"No it's no bother, I didn't mind." He smiled down at her.

She backed away on the seat a bit and began to straighten her bonnet and dress, then asked,

"Are we here already?"

"No not quite. This is just my…er…our neighbor's house. We're here to drop off some supplies to the neighbors, so just wait here." he commented as he climbed down from the wagon. He then walked around the wagon to help her down, but she climbed over the wheel and jumped down herself.

"See I can do things for myself!" she commented.

"Ha yeah I can see that! Okay let's deliver some of the supplies…" he began as he opened the tailgate of the wagon and started to hand her a package, but was then interrupted by a large woman who came rushing out of the house.

"Och ya der ya are, Jack! Where are our supplies? Ach my gals couldn't get their naps in today and have been fussing all day. I was wondering when you'd get back from town, you took a long enough time with it…And who do we have here another mouth to feed?" the woman went on.

"Sorry Audrey, here are the supplies you wanted...and this is my foster daughter, Megan. We just picked her up today from the depot. She's going to be a big help to Alena. Megan, this is our neighbor, Audrey Nilsson. " Josh commented.

"How'd ya do Missus Neelson…" Meg said almost in audibly.

"Well that's a fine howdy do! My you're just a slip of a thing aren't ja? Daughter? My, and I thought that this baby was your first 'un, but now I see! I didn't know you and Alena had another 'un and more'n half grown she is too... Well you'll have your time raising that 'un, though I s'ppose yer just a youn'in yerself. Vell gest take yer baby and be on yer vay den." Audrey went on, then grabbed her supplies.

"Oh Mrs. Nilsson, she's our daughter which we chose from the Orphan Train." Alena attempted to explain.

"Ah so that's how it is? An Orphan Train child? We'll better keep and eye on that 'un, is all I have to say..." Audrey went on to say, then turned and went inside.

The little family didn't say anything, although Jack mumbled under his breath as he helped Meg back into the wagon and they went on their way.

"Well I guess people are entitled to their opinions of others." Josh said as he drove on.

"Ya, even it's definitely not what you want to hear…" Alena said as she felt her baby move.

"Well Audrey certainly has hers…" Jack sighed.

"Ya what was up with Audrey? She seemed so…so…" Meg stammered for the right word.

"Overwhelmed? Snippy? Well as you could probably see, she obviously in the family way again, and is gonna have it real soon. She'd been helping me with some of my housework and that was part of the reason why I needed your help, because Audrey gave me a deadline to find someone else to help me before too long." Alena attempted to explain to Meg.

"Aye, eye see now how it is. So you did need me to help you and you had a deadline. Well I'm happy to help, but ya coulda warn'd me about your last helper." Meg went on, slipping again into her home accent a bit.

"Ah you really are…Irish then. Well that's okay because I think one of my ancestor's might've been, but I sorta forget." Jack went on.

"What were ya gonna call me? I 'ope it twasn't what I thought! T'well ya are stuck wit me no matta wha'…And we'll have to look up yer kin then jest ta see…" she went on on, laying her accent especially thick.

"It doesn't matter anyway…aw we'll discuss our ancestor's soon enough." He said.

They rode on in near silence as Meg looked at the landscape and Jack decided to relax himself a bit.

They soon arrived at the farm, and Meg took a look around the place from what she could see from the back of the wagon. Jack came around to help her down, but instead, she jumped over the wheel and jumped down again.

"You didn't have to do that Meg, I could've helped you down."

"Aw that's okay. I'm strong and I'm no damsel in distress all the time either. Here gimme the baby." She said as she reached for her small traveling case of possessions.

"Alright then…well make yourself at home in the cabin, while I need to see to the horses." He said while he opened the door for her.

Meg looked around the cabin, which was in quite the shambles. It looked like he hadn't cleaned up in there in some time. Food dishes were crusted on the sideboard and piled on the table. The bed was still rumpled and his clothes were still collecting on the floor. She thought to herself, 'Aye he said he wanted to be like my brother, and boy is he! Making a mess just like Aiden! Ach men! Haha! Aw I guess I better get to work!' as she began picking her way through the mess on the floor.

Alena nervously said "I'm sorry for the mess. I hadn't feeling well as of late, and I hadn't been expecting company for a while either." as she picked her way across the mess as well.

"Oh that's fine, I've seen bigger messes in my young life believe me...so don't feel bad about this Mrs. Ericsson...though I can see now why you need help." Meg replied.

"Oh you're a blessing Megan Mellody! And you can call me Alena if you wish." Alena answered.

Megan and Alena continued to chat for awhile, giving each other encouraging words, until Alena fell back to sleep. Then Meg went on to continue with the housework where she'd left off.

After a while, Josh and Jack finally came in and looked around. Meg looked up from her basin of dishes and said, "Ach the masters has come back to the manor house again!" her tone a bit sarcastic.

"Hey you cleaned up in here! You didn't have to do that!" Jack exclaimed although a bit excited.

"Well what else did you expect me to do, leave this place a mess? As soon as I saw it, I thought to meself, 'Aye Meg, that's what they got ya fer! Clean the house, don' ya know?" she said exasperatedly.

"Oh Meg we want you around for more than just to clean the cabin. Good job on what you have done far." Jack admitted.

"Well okay, but I know how you can help so that we don't wanna have to come into a mess like that again! Just place your things away and the dishes in a basin, no more just lyin' them about as you like." She explained.

"Fine, I can do that. Uh what about dinner?..." he began.

"Well dinner's on the stove. It's a stew that should be done soon enough…" she sighed.

"Thank you Meg. You don't realize how much of a help this is." He said.

"Well you're welcome, Jack. It isn't enough that I've been thanked and I appreciate it." She said.

"Well Meg you'll be getting a lot more thanks from now on believe me…" Jack said as he winked at her a bit.

Josh and Alena chuckled to themselves that they thought Jack and Meg were already arguing with each other like either siblings...or an old married couple. Meanwhile, Meg followed as he walked outside of the cabin to brush off his boots.

"Oh Jack, I was able to talk with Alena for awhile. She seems sweet but I agree so tired." Meg admitted.

Jack pulled her outside to continue the conversation. "Yes, she's lived a difficult life even before she married my brother Josh. She's survived this long, but I don't know how she'll be once she has the baby. We will deal with what comes next...but I'm just glad you're here now..." he admitted.

"Oh okay...though I hope Alena can hang on a bit longer. For her husband's sake as well as all of ours'..." Meg admitted.

A look she hadn't seen before suddenly came over Jack's face as he stared down at Meg and said "Thanks for your concern Meg. I hope too Alena can survive another winter, for all of our sake...but you needn't worry about your future." He then gave her his arm and gently led her into the house.

The pair went back inside the cabin to eat dinner with Josh and Alena, conversing off and on throughout the meal. Then afterward, Jack even helped Meg with the dishes which was a big help.

Then for the rest of the evening they conversed a while longer.

When he announced that he was going out to chore, Meg took that as a cue, and decided to quickly wash up and get ready for bed. After her day of travel, then helping Alena with the meal, she wanted to be clean, so she did the best she could behind a quilt in the corner.

She was already in her nightgown and robe when she decided to ask them where she was supposed to sleep.

"Well, I was just wondering about our sleeping arrangements and all. I can only see one bed in here…and you two sleep in it." she asked.

"Oh that's no big problem, Jack sleeps in the loft up top, and you can pull out the trundle bed down here…unless you want to sleep in the loft…" Josh jokingly reassured her.

"Well I think the trundle bed will be fine, so that I can be here to help Alena with breakfast if she needs my help." She breathed a sigh of relief.

Jack came back into the cabin right then, hearing part of Meg's comment, then added "Well I guess it's settled then. Goodnight Meg, pleasant dreams." he chuckled, as he climbed up the ladder into the loft.

"Goodnight to you too, Jack…" Meg said as she climbed into her bed, and quickly fell asleep, despite everything that was on her mind.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The next morning when Meg awoke, she was a bit disoriented at first and had to remember where she was at. When she smelled eggs and bacon frying on the stove, she suddenly remembered. She then got up and went over to the table, still a bit sleepy.

"Good morning sleepyhead, it's good to see you awake at last." Jack said with a bit of humor in his voice.

"Thanks for the breakfast, but you didn't have to do that. You should have woke me up and I would've made you breakfast. I'm here to help Alena with that." she said through a yawn.

"Aw it's fine. My brother and I usually get up soon after dawn to start some of our chores, but you looked so peaceful there that I thought you needed your rest. Plus I figured that you'd probably had a long day yesterday and all..." he said as he set the food on the table.

"Oh thank you Jack, that was really nice of you. Very thoughtful.." she said as she spooned some oatmeal on her plate.

They exchanged pleasant conversation, while Josh came in from outdoors and Alena awoke from her bed. They all joined into the conversation, until the men said that they had to check on some of the livestock, while the women announced that they had to get busy finishing a few of the other chores around there, so they went their separate ways to get to work.

Meg started with the breakfast dishes, which didn't take too long. Then she helped Alena take care of her needs while they chatted for awhile. Alena gave her a few tips about the household chores when Meg asked, then Alena worked on some mending while Meg dealt with the larger tasks.

It was then Meg decided that the clothes needed washed, so she took the washtub from beside the outside of the house and fill it with water from the well. The tub was a bit cumbersome to fill straight from the well pump, so Meg decided to bring it by the bucketful to the place around the back of the house closest to the clothesline, and build the fire up for the load of laundry there.

It took her quite a while to get the laundry set, with the kettle boiling over the open fire and the laundry loaded in with the soap, so she went to check on Alena. Finding Alena resting again, Meg decided to go back outdoors to the laundry. She had just sat down on a stump, when Jack came around to see what she was up to.

"Hello kiddo, and what do we have brewing here? Looks like quite the stew!"

"It's not a stew, it's our laundry! Check it out for yourself!"

"So you decided to boil the clothes over an open fire?" he inquired.

"Ya so? How else would you do it?" she asked.

"Well I guess maybe just heat up a bit of water on the stove or something. Or maybe wash them in the creek..." he volunteered.

"Oh yeah I guess I didn't think of that..." she responded.

"Well, I guess you can do things your own way now. Just so's the fire's not too close to the cabin and all..." he said.

"Aw the clothes are coming out fine and are almost done. Although I'd get finished much faster if you helped me with the ringer part..." she tauntingly pleaded.

Suddenly Jack got a bemused look on his face and said, "Aw Meg you don't have to beg, I'll help you...Uh I then, I have something to show you in the barn." as he proceeded to help her run a few more items of clothes through the ringer, until they were satisfactorily finished. Then the walked toward the barn.

Meg had no idea what he was talking about, but she decided to follow him anyway. He led them into the barn and past the first couple horse stalls and into the last one, where a chocolate brown mare stood. When they approached, she turned her head and wanted a treat. Jack scratched her forelock and mane, then motioned for Meg to do the same.

"Meg, say hello to Dolly. I've had this mare for a little more than a year now. She is Alena's mare, but since her pregnancy these past few months, Alena's been unable to ride her...So then I asked Alena and she agreed to let you ride Dolly, since you're smaller than me...just be careful."

Meg was astonished and didn't know what to say. She petted the horse a bit, then said "Thank you Jack, don't know what to say. I've never been given a horse before...and Alena doesn't mind?"

"No, she said she didn't mind, as long as you take care of her and share the horse once Alena feels up to riding again. You do ride, don't you?" he asked.

"Yes, a little. Though it only been bareback on a pony a few times." she said shyly.

"Oh well Dolly's gentle enough, but we'll have to go riding sometime soon. Would you like that?" he asked.

"Yeah that would really be fun. Sometime we should do that." she stated. She also looked at Jack and thought that he was quite kind sometimes.

He then showed her around the rest of the farmyard, told her that apart from her household chores, he also wanted her to help with feeding the chickens, slopping the hogs, and milking the cow at least once a day. Meg saw that he had her time on the farm already planned out for her and she sighed. She knew that most of the chores went along with living on a typical farm, but she didn't know if he knew that she knew that or not, so she just kept quiet for a moment.

Jack and Josh had to go to another neighbor's to borrow an implement they were going to need for harvest soon. During their time away, Meg and Alena had more time getting to know each other as well, although Meg could tell even Alena sensed she wasn't long for this world. When Meg asked her what kept her so calm, Alena replied had Meg help her find her Bible and then she proceeded to show her the passages the spoke of Jesus' promises in Heaven. Alena attempted to show Meg the way to the Lord, but she knew Meg would have to make the choice in her own time.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter **8**

Time passed quickly and soon a fall nip could be felt in the air. One day, after having been there only two weeks, Meg went to check on Alena who was resting, when she heard a faint moan. When she rushed over to her, Alena told Meg that she thought that her baby was coming now. Slightly panicked, Meg told Alena to rest, then ran outdoors to find Jack and Josh. Then men came in and looked a bit worried, until Josh said that he would ride for the doctor and Jack said he'd ride to the next farm and get Mrs. Nilsson.

Meg sat with Alena awhile trying to keep her calm as she waited for the men. After what seemed like forever, Jack brought back Audrey Nilsson who tried to help Alena as well as she could while her labor progressed. After a few hours and the fact that

Josh still hadn't come, Jack became worried, and saddled his own horse to get the doc. He was able to get to town, found the doc, and headed back. By the time they got back, Alena was in a bad state because her delivery had developed complications, but the doc was able to save the baby. Alena, however, was left so weakened that she only lived another hour in which she told the doctor that she wanted to name the baby _"Henry Lee..."_

Jack and Meg had stepped out of the cabin for a few moments while the baby was being born, and when Mrs. Nilsson stepped out to give them the heartbreaking news, Meg started to cry.

_"Ach I'm sorry but she didn't..."_ Audrey started.

_"Oh no, it's all my fault! I should've been more attentive, should've taken better care..." _Meg cried.

_"Ach girl it's not your fault..you did what you could, we all did... in the end, Alena knew she was..."_

Jack suddenly drew her in his arms in a comforting hug and went on to say, _"Better care Alena couldn't have gotten but from you. In the short time she knew you, you were loved, like the daughter she never had."_

_"Yes, I guess so...but I'm surely gonna miss her because she was a lovely soul in and out."_ Meg cried.

Mrs. Nilsson felt compassion toward the scene, but then interrupted them with the solemn reminder, _"I hate to interrupt your family grief, but come along girl we need to take care of Alena before too long."_

_"Okay I'll be along, although this is a grim task indeed." _Meg said as she sorrowfully followed Audrey Nilsson into the cabin.

Jack followed Meg and Mrs. Nilsson into the cabin where

the doctor handed baby Henry to him to hold. Jack held his tiny nephew as long as he could, with the pride of being an uncle and the concern over the health of his sister-in-law Alena welling up inside. He was also becoming worried and angry about what had become of his brother, Josh, who Jack was certain wouldn't have wanted to miss the birth of his son, or not be there to help his wife.

The next day, the sheriff knocked on Jack's door to bring him the awful news that his brother Josh's body had been found at the side of the road. Apparently his horse had stumbled, throwing Josh to the ground, where he'd hit his head on a rock and had died. Jack was overcome with grief, but tried to hide it like a man.

It was then that Meg and Audrey realized that they would have to now prepare both Alena and Josh for their final resting place, while Jack and Mr. Nilsson and another neighbor found the right spot under the horse chestnut tree for Josh and Alena's graves. While he and Mr. Nilsson were digging Josh and Alena's graves, Jack then realized that with Josh gone as well as Alena, he was now the sole provider for both his nephew Henry, and even Meg. Even though he could adopt Henry, given he was a blood relative, he couldn't adopt Meg since they were only five years apart. He was contemplating what to do next, when suddenly a man in buckskins and broadcloth rode up, introducing himself as Pastor Richard Kildare.

Pastor Kildare said that he was a circuit rider who's mission was to spread the message of the Lord Jesus Christ to everyone he met. The men greeted him warmly and told them that they were in need of a preacher right then, to give Josh and Alena a proper burial service and so forth.

The pastor agreed to do the service and was going to say more, when a thought suddenly occurred to Jack, so he drew the pastor aside and spoke to him about a personal matter relating to Meg. Although a bit reluctant, the pastor agreed to help Jack if the other party agreed.

The women had just finished doing what they could for Josh and Alena, to prepare them for their final resting place. The sheriff had sent two simple pine boxes from the undertaker to help in whatever way he could.

Meg and Audrey were surprised at the fact that the circuit riding preacher had even shown up to give a ceremony for Alena, although Meg could see the hand of God in it somewhere, like Alena would have said.

After the brief ceremony around the yawning graves, Jack drew Meg aside, putting his arm around her, and comforting her.

_"Oh Jack, Josh and Alena are both gone now...just like my aunt and my ma & da...What am I going to have to do now? I don't know how you can adopt me? Am I bound for another orphan train?" _Meg wept.

_"Oh Meggie, as I said before, you don't have to worry. I agree, I don't know how I could really adopt you either...but I do have another idea. Instead of I adopting you, since we're pretty close in age, I thought maybe I could take care of you another way...through marriage..."_ Jack said, while holding her hand.

_"Marriage? ...You want to marry me? Are you sure I'm good enough?" _Meg asked a bit nervous.

"_Yeah sure I think you're good enough...and we can take our time as far as any other relationship might go. We can have it be that way if you want it._" he said reassuringly.

_"Oh okay, I think that'd be okay at least for _a_while...When do you want to get married?"_ Meg asked shyly.

_"Well how about the sooner the better...The pastor's here you know, so we could make it legal right now._" he said.

_"Oh right now...uh...yeah okay, I guess we can get married right now. Though I don't have a fancy dress or anything."_ Meg mentioned.

_"Well I think you look fine...and I'll buy you a fancy dress sometime when the time is right..."_ he reassured.

And so that evening, right after Alena's ceremony, Jack Ericsson and Megan Mellody was united in marriage under a horse chestnut tree in the backyard, not far from the graves of Josh and Alena.

It had been quite the past few days, and so that evening, Meg washed up quickly, took care of baby Henry as well as she could given the circumstances, and sat waiting for Jack, a bit nervously.

When Jack came in, he glanced at her and asked her what was up.

_"Well Jack, I know we're supposed to be married now...but I don't know if I can..." _ she said nervously.

_"Ah it's okay Meg...I know it's been quite the few days for us. The marriage can be just a legality for now if you want it to be, I'll understand. Oh it's been quite the time for me too." _he admitted.

_"Well what about sleeping arrangements? Are you going to be wanting the bed now?"_ she asked.

_"Oh Meg, you can have the bed, while I'll still sleep in my loft._" he said as he climbed toward the loft.

_"All right then...oh goodnight Jack._" Meg said.

_"Goodnight Meg, pleasant dreams..._" Jack said from the loft.

Despite the recent deaths of Josh and Alena, life had to go on, especially life on a farm since farm work was never done. Chores had to be accomplished and thus the next several weeks passed quickly for Jack and Meg as they adjusted to life on the farm without Josh and Alena now too. Their times working together to accomplish the daily tasks as well as other chores like harvesting the vegetable garden, lent to fun times getting to know each other as well.

One day, the day had progressed quickly and soon it was time for dinner, then to bathe baby Henry and put him to bed. After Meg had done that, she decided to sit for a spell with some of her crocheting, while Jack sat and read part of the newspaper.

Suddenly, Meg decided to strike up a bit of a conversation. _ "So Jack Ericsson, I was wondering where you're from?"_

_"Oh Ohio I guess..." _ he said a bit distractedly.

_"No not what state! No, um...where ancestor's from? I know mine are from Ireland...so I was wondering about you."_ she pressed.

_"Well I guess from all over...but if I remember correctly...I think my great grandparents came from Denmark...or at least I know my grandfather did." _he answered.

_"Denmark ya say? Oh I wondered if you were Scandinavian, being tall and all." _ she said.

_"You think I'm tall?"_ he asked.

_"Sure'n you're taller'n most Irishmen...or namely my late Da and my brother Aiden."_ she said.

_"That's nice."_ he said slightly distractedly.

_"Um, lemme think...Denmark...Isn't that where Hamlet came from, and they have that statue of the silkie?" _ she asked.

_"Yeah I guess so...Wait a minute what's a 'silkie'?" _Jack asked looking up from his paper momentarily.

_"Ya know, a silkie...a lass that's half woman and half fish!"_ she said rolling her eyes.

Jack catches her meaning, then says _"Silkie? Oh yeah you meant the mermaid statue? Ja I guess Denmark has that...Actually speaking of that, my grandfather used to tell this story about his father telling people the statue looked like his wife...some jokester! I think he was probably getting a bit tetched in the head by then..._" he chuckled.

Meg just chuckled and added _"Haha you related to a silkie, ya thats like me grandfather saying he danced with the leprechauns in the pale moonlight lookin' fer der 'pot o' gold'!" _

They continued on with just spending time together, then Jack said it was time for him to turn in, so he collected his item and climbed up into his loft, while she slipped into her nightgown an went to sleep in her bed, thinking about their funny conversations.

The next day, Meg awoke early to make breakfast and had just got the coffee brewing, the oatmeal cooking, and the eggs frying, when Jack walked in. He pulled off a knit cap he'd had on his head, and removed his coat.

Meg glanced over to him and commented to him, _"Oh I thought that I'd get up early to get breakfast on, but I see you're already up."_

Jack just grabbed his plate and fork, then began to shovel the food onto his plate as he _said, "Ja I had to chore a bit, so I got up early as always. Uh Meg how do you feel about doing farm work because I need you to help me a bit if you can?"_

_"Oh I'm fine with it. What do we have to do?_" she asked a bit curiously.

_"Well the crops I have out there, the grain, it needs to be harvested before the first frost comes around. Some of our neighbors were supposed to be coming with the thresher, but the last I head, it had broken down at the Nilsson's and they're a day behind...so I thought you could help me bring in as much as we can before the machine _comes." he said between forkfuls of food.

_"Oh we're doing it by hand? Well I think I can help you there, but what about Henry?_" Meg inquired inquisitively.

_"Well you can take him along. We'll just have to keep an eye on him as we work. You can do that can't you?_" he asked, slightly teasingly.

_"Yes I believe I _can." she smirked.

And Meg packed up the supplies she thought they'd need, which included food and some sweet cider she'd found in the root cellar, bundled little Henry up, and met Jack out by the wagon. He helped lift the supplies up into the wagon, then Meg and Henry, and then jumped up into the wagon himself, and they were on their way.

They only traveled a short distance until they got to the part of the field where he'd wanted them to begin. When he hand Meg the sythe he'd wanted her to use, he tried to explain what it was used for, but then ended up just demonstrated it to her, then handed her the tool to begin.

Jack and Meg got to work and ended up working a while in near silence. Meg would follow along behind him as he cut off the stalks, so that she could bind them off into sheaves. After a while Meg started to hum a tune while she worked. Jack soon took notice and asked her about it.

_"Hey that's a good tune to sing out _here." he commented.

_"Really why do you say that?_" she asked naively.

_"Oh because it's 'Bringing In The Sheaves' haha quite fittin' I'd _say." he chuckled.

_"Really? How does it go? My Ma used to hum it when she was working her garden plot back at home, but she never sang the words rightly _though." Meg said.

_"Well the song as well as I know it goes "Bringing In The Sheaves...We will coming rejoicing, Bringing in the Sheaves..."_ he went on to sing.

Tentatively Meg sang along with him as they worked the field. After their song, they just kept working in silence until they took a break. Even though they worked like that, they'd still sneak peaks at each other while working. Both appreciated what they saw in each other, even if they were still a bit shy and reluctant to admit the fondness even to themselves.

During their break, both flopped down in a bare patch of the field they'd cleared, and rested. Meg also took the baby in her lap and fed him from a glass bottle she'd filled with milk, while Jack rested and drank some of the cider Meg and brought along.

_"Thanks for the food and cider Meg, it really it the spot. Did you get enough?_" Jack said as he relaxed.

_"I'm fine Jack. And I think this little guy's almost asleep._" she whispered as the baby fell asleep on her lap.

_"You sure are good with that baby._" he said as he stared at her. Then he looked away for a moment and _said "The work out here isn't too tough for ya is it? Cos we could go back now, if you're tired."_

_"Thank you for your thoughtfulness Jack, but I think I'll be fine. I want to help you get done, it's the least I can _do." Meg said, the last part in a near whisper.

_"Oh...well thanks Meg, although you're more than just a help for me._" he said, his voice trailing off.

The pair worked for several more hours until they'd gotten a decent amount of the field cleared. Then they loaded up their supplies on the wagon and got back to the farm. Even there they still worked until nearly dark, working on separating out the chaff from the grain while in the barn, then pouring the grain kernels into bags.

When they got back to the cabin, Meg threw together a quick supper, while Jack washed up at the pump outside. Meg happened to glance outside to call him into dinner, and liked what she saw of him in the waning light of day, as far as his back and what she could see of his backside. A bit embarrassed, she called him into dinner, and he quickly threw his shirt back on.

They ate supper in silence, with very few comments and because they were both so physically tired. They then each went to their beds, both tired, but with things on their minds.

Early the next morning, Meg got up and thought she'd get a quick wash, so she filled the tub and got in to relax. She ended up being so tired, that she fell asleep in the tub and didn't wake up until she heard Jack clear his throat.

_"Oh hmmp, what do we have here?_" he chuckled.

Meg sat up and brushed her wet hair out of her face and gasped she went to say something but realized that somehow in the night she'd lost her voice to laryngitis! Panicked, she curled her knees to her chest and started to shiver.

_"Haha I'm sorry Meg but with your long red hair you look quite the sight! Like something washed up with the tide._" Jack laughed.

Meg became more than a little indignant and took her washcloth, twisted it up, and whipped it at him, hitting him squarely on the face! Then she pointed at the door, motioning him to leave.

_"Whoa you're a feisty one! Haha okay I'll leave._" Jack laughed as he walked toward the door.

He was just about out the door, when he glanced back and saw Meg had slunk out of the tub and had grabbed one of his shirts and pants, sliding them on to cover herself, trying to hide behind the table the whole time. Jack didn't know what to think of her then. He'd liked what he'd seen, although he did feel bad that she felt so embarrassed. He walked out to the barn to get ready for the thrashers who were coming through.

Meg did feel embarrassed by her situation because she was still a bit shy about her body. Still though she wanted to see what Jack was up to, so after seeing to Henry's needs, she went outside to see Jack and "talk" to him even if she was momentarily mute.

Jack was working with one of the draft horses, when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He spun around and saw Meg standing there, still dressed in his shirt and pants.

_"Oh hi Meg...Uh I'm sorry I surprised you like that...although you did still look funny with your hair in your face...and the way you threw that rag was great..._haha..." he laughed.

She just glared up at him and wanted to yell at him but couldn't, so she resorted to the hand signs she'd used with her little sister. He grabbed her arms and looked down at her._ "Oh Meg you lost your voice? I'm sorry I teased ya...Hey what were you doing with your hands, trying to hit me?" _

Meg just shook her head, so with compassion, Jack just drew her close and held her. After a few moments she pulled away, and he _said "I'm sorry if you were uncomfortable with that. Uh how would you like to go for a riding lesson with Dolly? We have some time before the threshers show up."_

Meg nodded her head in affirmation, then let Jack lead her to the mare, which he saddled for her. He then led had her lead the mare over to the mounting block and had her climb onto the saddle herself. He then showed her how to hold the reins between what was left of her fingers, and then had her sit their until he got his horse, which he had saddled earlier.

Meg sat there on what she thought was a large horse and hope that the beast wouldn't run off with her hanging on for dear life. Jack soon came around with his horse, and he told her they'd only go for a short ride.

He led the horses out the gate of the paddock, and they both were on a walk, then a gentle canter with the horses. Meg soon realized that she was having fun riding and loved to feel the wind in her hair. Soon they were riding along easily and Meg started to feel like laughing, but it only came out as a cough because of her voice.

_"Oh Meg I hope you're not getting cold out here. And watch _out..." Jack said, when suddenly Meg's horse stopped and she slid off to the side of Dolly. Dolly suddenly reared back and began pawing the ground at something. At that moment, Meg heard a rattling sound, and right next to her was a large, long rattle snake.

_"Oh Meg don't move, that's a rattlesnake...a diamondback I think. Just sit still and I'll take care of it._" Jack said as he whipped out his shotgun and shot at the snake.

Suddenly his horse shied, and he missed, scaring Dolly away and only wounding the snake. Still that gave Meg just enough time to jump away from the snake, and Jack was able to come by on his horse in the nick of time to pull her up onto his horse and gallop off for home.

They rode along in silence, although Meg was all to aware of how closely she was sitting to Jack on the horse. She pressed her cheek against his chest, could smell his scent and could swear she could nearly hear his beating heart as they rushed by.

When they got back to the house, he suddenly stopped, but before they got dismounted from the horse Jack looked down at her with his blue and Meg thought that perhaps he was going to kiss her, and as she shut her eyes for just that, they suddenly heard other people around them and realized that their neighbors had come around with the community threshing machine.

That broke whatever romantic mood that had stirred between them, and Jack helped her down and went on explain how Meg had almost gotten bitten by a rattlesnake and so forth. Then he went on to help with the threshing while Mrs. Nilsson chided Meg about leaving baby Henry alone while they'd gone out gallivanting on horseback.

The rest of the day was spent working on the threshing and so forth. By the end of the day both Jack and Meg were too tired for much more than staring at each other across the table over supper, and then each going on to their separate beds.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter **9**

As the weeks passed and the weather got colder, Meg spent more time cleaning around the house, and even did a little investigating where she found a trunk that she could only assume had belonged to Jack's brother and sister-in-law.

The trunk contained a number of personal items, photos, baby items which she wasn't sure Henry had ever worn, a few dresses, and a family Bible. Meg thought that she could alter the dresses to fit herself, and so that soon became her project that she worked on while Jack was busy elsewhere. The family Bible, Meg noticed, had dates where people from Jack's family had marked important events. The last event, much to her surprise, had been the date she and Jack had married. Meg just stared and couldn't believe how thoughtful it was of Jack to even do that. Maybe he did think of her as more than just a little sister, but she wasn't sure.

One evening she was rocking Henry to sleep just after dinner and absentmindedly began to sing.

Jack looked up from his newspaper and _commented, "Wow Meg, I didn't know you had such a voice! I guess I didn't realize that about you."_

_"Well Jack there's a lot about me you don't _know." Meg said a bit coyly.

_"Well tell me about it then, I'm willing to listen."_ Jack said, staring at here.

_"Okay _then..." Meg began as she went on to tell more about her life from when she'd been living in Ireland, her time of homelessness, and her continual concerns for her sister.

Jack expressed his sympathies to her issues and mentioned how the Lord was always there to turn to whenever anything troubled her. Meg was a bit surprised since although she'd gone to a church as a young child, her relationship with God had fallen aside as of late. Jack suggested a verse in the Bible, which she attempted to look up, but since her ability to understand all English in print was limited, she knew she'd have to ask Jack or someone for help sometime.

When Sunday rolled around, Jack decided to have them attend church together. Meg decided to wear one of the dresses she'd found and altered for herself. When Jack saw her, he told her she looked quite pretty, which made Meg feel good about herself.

The church service was fine, although it left more questions in Meg's mind than even Jack could answer. Still though when they spoke to the Pastor and his wife, they said they'd help the Ericssons' with any questions they might have. Meg thought that was kind and was especially appreciative of the meal the Pastor's family had invited them to.

When the young couple got back to their home, Jack played with Henry for a while on the floor, while Meg worked on her mending. All the while she contemplated what Pastor Waters and his wife had said about John 3:16-17, and the part in Corinthians which said about being equally yoked. Something just stirred within her heart and so she asked Jack about his relationship with the Lord and what he'd thought about the verse in Corinthians.

_"Well Meg, I consider my relationship with the Lord to be strong...but I guess I'd sort of forgot about that verse in Corinthians about being equally yoked..._" he said a bit dejectedly.

_"So does that make our marriage a sin then_?" she gasped.

_"Well I don't know..."_

_"Oh Jack I'm so _sorry..." she wept slightly.

Jack suddenly stood up and went over to her to comfort her, but although she accepted his hug, she told _him "Jack thank you...but before we can go anywhere else in our relationship, I need to work things out with God...Okay?"_

_"Okay Meg, I understand. I'll sleep in the barn then, but if you want anything more, I want you to make your choice out of your own desire for a relationship with the Lord Jesus, not just me."_ Jack said, as he knelt by her and they prayed.

Jack then left for the barn, while Meg contemplated her soul. She went to bed, thinking over what had befell her parents and her aunt, and began thinking about her eternal soul. She prayed to the Lord in her mind but wondered if it was enough.

Meg mulled over these decisions in her mind and heart, for almost a week then finally after much reading of the Bible and pondering on the matter, decided to ask Lord Jesus to be her Savior.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter **10**

While Meg was contemplating her eternal soul, Jack was mulling the situation in his mind. He felt sympathy toward Meg, but realistically the weather was beginning to get too cold to continue to sleep in the barn. He would have to soon talk Meg into at least allow him to sleep in his loft in the upper part of the cabin, if nothing else.

Suddenly, a few days after Meg had accepted the Lord, there was a large and sudden snowstorm, which happened to trap Jack in the cabin that evening.

_"Oh Meg it looks like it snowing pretty badly, if I'm to make it back to the barn I'll have to do it pretty soon..." _he said.

_"Oh you don't have to go out in that, Jack! That's too much of a _mess." she said.

_"Are you okay with me staying in the cabin? I'll stay in the loft._" he inquired.

_"Yes...you stay in the loft." _she said as she finished putting Henry to bed, then went on to her mending.

She sat there mending for a while, while he read his newspaper. He began to get a bit lost in the events of the world, when suddenly Meg asked him a question.

_"Jack I know you're a man of the world and have had more experience in such things, can I ask you a question?" _

_"Okay Meg what do you want to know_?" he asked a bit curious.

_"Um what's it like to kiss someone_?" she asked shyly.

_"Oh...well, it's nice I guess...though I haven't kissed too many girls, to be honest._" he said, slightly embarrassed.

_"Well do you want to find out_?" she she said shyly.

_"Mmm, maybe? Why do you want me to teach you how to kiss_?" he chuckled.

She walked over to him and _said, "Yeah something like that. Can I kiss you?"_

_"Well if you want to, if that's what you _want." he said slightly nervous.

He began to get up, but she jumped on his lap first, looked into his eyes, and stroked his cheek.

_"Did you know Jack that you have the bluest eyes?" _

_"Oh do I now?_" he asked.

Suddenly she leaned in and initiated their kiss. It was a touching of lips that soon led to them pressing against each other, and him eventually pulling her to the floor where they made out in front of the fire. When his hand began to travel up her skirt, she gasped, and that startled him enough that he remembered her previous religious convictions and backed away from her, running up to his loft.

She didn't know what to think, so she changed into her nightgown and went to bed, pondering what had just happened. It was all curious, though she wondered if where there kiss had been leading to what she thought it was, why had Jack run off so?

About two hours later, Meg was curled up in her bed shivering and trying to sleep. Suddenly she realized faintly that someone was climbing into bed with her she rolled over and gasped, when she suddenly felt Jack's arms around her drawing her close.

_"Shh Meg it's just me, just Jack. It was freezing up in the loft, and the thermometer said that it's almost -15F out, and I knew we couldn't let each other freeze. I know about how you were still trying to decide about Jesus...and about what we almost did earlier...but even if you haven't made up your mind yet, it would be even worse to freeze first. It's no sin to sleep beside each other because we are married..._" he said as he held her close.

_"Oh Jack it's fine. I actually accepted the Lord Jesus as my savior a few days ago, but I didn't get a chance to tell you yet. I know what we almost did earlier...and that's okay too._" she whispered in his ear.

_"Oh Meg that's great to hear, on both accounts...Okay if you want to, then I'll do my best to keep you warm..._hmmm" he said as he began to kiss and caress her.

_"Oh I see you will, hehe hmmm..._" she chuckled as he kissed her neck and she caressed him back.

They spent the rest of that night keeping each other warm and then some. Learning the intimate side of marriage in their own way and time.

The next morning they woke up in each other's arms languishing in the joy of a real marriage in all it's aspects, finding where they liked to be touched or cuddled. Where she had an itch on her back that she made him scratch until his arm grew tired Lazing together late into the morning, until it came time to chore or take care of baby Henry. It was a good time for them indeed.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter **11**

The rest of the winter was spent working on the farm, working on their relationship with each other and with God. It was a good time and Christmas went well, attending church, and getting to know the people in the community better as winter progressed.

Despite the progress they'd made, Meg was still concerned for her sister, and she often expressed her concerns to her husband, who would then tell her that in the spring, just after planting, they would go find her sister. Meg then decided to write inquiries into newspapers about the whereabouts of her sister, Heather, who was blind and a deaf mute, but she still didn't get a response.

In early February, Meg was helping Jack with the chores, when she fainted. Jack brought Mrs. Nilsson around, who suddenly became a bit more compassionate and talked over some facts with Meg. Later that evening, Meg approached Jack after the meal.

_"Jack, honey, you like your nephew Henry well enough don't you_?"

_"Of course Meg, dear, he's my nephew and I'll always love him. Especially now that he's getting a bit older and can be my little buddy._" he said.

_"How do you feel about them when their younger? Like brand new?" _ she asked shyly.

_"Oh they're not easy but with help...hey are you trying to tell me something?" _ he said a little excitedly.

"_Yes Jack in about six months or less you're going to really be a daddy!"_ Meg giggled.

_"Hey that's great! Do you think that it was from back when we first...?" _ he asked.

_"Haha well you never know!"_ she laughed as he pulled her into a hug and kiss.

The next several months flew by quickly for Jack and Meg as they worked the farm, Jack worked the fields with help from neighbors & friends, and Meg planted her kitchen garden. Even so, Jack stilled babied Meg as she began to progress in her pregnancy and really began to show.

One day, in early June, Jack took Meg and Henry into town because they hadn't been there in quite a while. Jack dropped her off at the general store to browse with Henry, while he went to pay some toward his mortgaged property at the bank.

Meg was leading little Henry around the store as she picked out items, when he suddenly ran out of her grasp and into a tall woman wearing a bombazine gown. Meg, in her simple cotton dress and sun bonnet, scooped up the squirming toddler and apologized to the woman who seemed well to do.

The woman looked down at the young mother compassionately, until recognition crossed her face and her expression changed entirely.

_"Megan Mellody is that YOU?" _

_"Oh hello Mrs. Brace, I almost didn't recognize you! How are you doing?" _Meg said, nervously shifting Henry to her hip.

_"Well not as fine as you! All grown up I see, with a babe in arms and another one on the way I see!" _she said a bit sarcastically.

_"Well I can explain, Mrs. Brace..." _ Megan tried to explain, but Mrs. Brace cut her off.

_"You better explain or ... Oh you poor girl! Who did we place you with? Did whoever we place you with do this to you?_" she said while grabbing Megan arm, dragging her along.

_"Well actually yes, but...Hey!_" Meg said as Mrs. Brace dragged her out of the store.

_"It's my Christian duty to help my children's placements if they turn unsavory! I will not have my girls turned into demonidestes!" Mrs. Brace proclaimed as she pulled Meg along._

_"Demonidestes? What's that?_" Meg asked.

_"As if you didn't know...actually its better if you didn't know._" she said.

Suddenly Jack came out of the bank and when he saw a posh older woman in a bombazine gown pulling his wife along the boardwalk toward the train-station, he just had to run over to intercede.

_"Out of my way young man, I'm on a mission of mercy with this young woman!_" Mrs. Brace said as she tried to brush Jack out of the way.

_"Jack!_" Meg exclaimed.

_"Well ma'am I believe this is my business since that young woman you're manhandling just so happens to be my wife!_" Jack said, his arms crossed across his chest.

_"Your wife? You don't look old enough for a wife! Anyway who did you get her from that she became your wife? Just give me the name of the man who adopted her."_ Mrs. Brace exclaimed.

_"Well that's easy enough, but I was the one who took her off the train._" he said.

_"You did? Did you know sir how old this young girl was when she was on the orphan train?"_ she retorted.

_"Well I know how old she is now, and let me tell you she's every bit that _age._ And I love her." _he said.

_"Okay Megan tell them how old you are_!" Mrs. Brace said.

_"Well Mrs. Brace, I'm sorry, but I'm over 16 ½ years old. I'm know I'm probably too young to be having a baby, _but..." Meg shyly admitted.

_"Sixteen and a half years old? You're not twelve or thirteen, but over sixteen?_" Mrs. Brace said a bit stunned.

_"Yes I'm sorry that I lied to you about my age last year...but I didn't wanted to be separated from my sister Heather...but I still was separated from her _anyway." Meg said rather dejectedly.

_"Well there was no excuse for lying, Megan, but I can see your intentions were noble at the time. As far as your age and that legality, well I suppose considering that you married your adoptive guardian, who was obvious fairly young himself from what I observe, perhaps I will forgive you this once. It seems like you've found a loving home...no matter the unusual circumstances...and that was the objective of the Christian Children's Aid Society overall."_ Mrs. Brace exclaimed.

_"Thank you Mrs. Brace! Yes it is a loving home indeed!_" Meg said as she embraced her husband, and he kissed her on the head, stroking her hair.

Meg then asked Mrs. Brace if she had any clues about her sister, Heather, to which Mrs. Brace answered that she could possibly help her, as they walked over to a small waiting room off to the side of the train station. The room had dark wood paneling that was stained a dark oak, and two wooden benches which faced each other. Mrs. Brace took the seat against the wall, and quickly settled herself in place, smoothing her skirts as she went. Jack and Meg settled in the center bench, Jack grabbing her hand in the center of his, as Meg settled herself carefully onto the bench, being aware of the extra bulk the baby provided.

Meg nervously cleared her throat and _asked "Mrs Brace, you said that you had news of my sister?"_

Mrs. Brace cleared her own throat out of nervous habit and proceeded to pull a small slip of paper and a pencil out of her purse._ "Yes Meg, you asked about your sister, Heather. Well, although the details are sparse especially after more than a year, and the fact that the Christian Children's Aid Society's adoption placements are closed, I can tell you that your sister was placed in a loving home in Colorado, not far from the Denver area. I will provide to you the name of someone you can write to to learn more about your sister's whereabouts."_

Mrs. Brace continued by passing the slip of paper over to Jack and Meg. Meg quickly took the paper, folded it, and placed it in her bag. She began to thank Mrs. Brace, but then Henry interrupted her and started to fuss, since it was getting close to his naptime.

Mrs. Brace stared at Meg for a few moments, then shook her head while a smile broke across he face._ "Oh Meg, it is indeed a sight seeing you care for that child, especially since you were placed here only about a year ago, however it's excellent to see that the child responds to you so well. You make a good mother even now. Be sure to take care of yourself, get plenty of rest, and you will do well when the next one arrives in a few weeks."_

Meg looked shyly up from the little boy, who was trying to fitfully rest in her arms. She handed Henry over to Jack, then glanced toward Mrs. Brace _saying "Thank you for the compliments Mrs. Brace. After what you said earlier, the compliment was mighty appreciated."_

Mrs. Brace again nodded her approval and began to rise, as Jack helped Meg to her feet while balancing Henry on one hip. They walked out of the room and Mrs. Brace said that she had to return to the train to continue onward with her mission, while Jack and Meg told her that they needed to continue on their way as well.

As they walked back toward their wagon, Meg pulled the slip of paper out of her bag and was going to mention about it, when Jack interrupted her saying._ "Well Meg that was quite the encounter, meeting up with Mrs. Brace and all. Uh about your sister, well I know you'd like to go look for her, but it's getting rather late, even for a telegram. We'll try the telegraph office, but we do need to get home."_

Meg nodded in agreement, then _answered "Yes I think maybe a message would be fine, but I agree that we do need to get going, don't we?"_

The couple headed over to the telegraph office and attempted to send a message, but since the person's name and location were a bit vague, the telegraph officer told them he'd do the best he could, but not to be surprised if it took a few days or more for a response.

Meg thanked him, then walked with Jack back to their wagon, and they set off toward home again. They had traveled most of the way, with Henry falling asleep in a bundle on the floor of the wagon, and Meg becoming so drowsy that she had momentarily leaned against Jack's shoulder and began to doze, while he put his arm around her shoulder.

The next thing Meg knew, Jack had pulled the wagon to a stop outside their cabin, and gently helped Meg down, as well as the sleeping boy. They put Henry to bed, but then instead of retiring to the chair, or having Meg begin to fix dinner right away, Jack took her hand and led her outside to a part of their yard a few yards from the house.

Meg began to ask what he was onto, but he just said something about the stars. They spread out an old woven blanket, then sat down, until Jack lay down and pulled Meg down beside him.

_"Do you see those stars up there? That one's Andromeda and the other is Cassiopeia, then over there is the Big Bear, the Little Bear, Orion's Belt, etc..." _Jack went on as he pointed out stars and constellations.

_"Yes I think I do see that. Oh Jack, they're so lovely, I didn't know you liked to study the stars?"_ Meg asked a bit surprised as she leaned her head closer to his, to follow his pointing finger.

_"Yeah it's been a favorite pass time of mine since I was a boy. I guess you don't know everything about me yet either?"_ he said his voice softly teasing.

_"Yeah I guess so..."_ she mused.

_"I wonder if someday man will be able to travel up among the stars? See what they're really made of? Wish I could travel there, or even to the moon, but I doubt that'll happen in a million years." _ he sighed.

"_Aw, you want to see the stars and the moon? That would certainly be pioneering of a different sort. Haha, d'ya know what I wonder?" _Meg mused.

_"No what do you wonder?"_ he replied.

_"I wonder ... if the moon's really made of green cheese!" _she giggled.

_"Oh Meg, hahaha...I doubt it, but that is something to ponder, I suppose." _he chuckled as he gazed over at her.

Meg paused a moment then quietly said, _"Jack, do you know where I'd like to go?"_

_"No, where would you like to go?" _ he answered.

_"I'd like ...to go find my sister, Heather. I worry about her so."_ she said.

Jack rolled over toward her and brushed a tendril of hair away from her eyes, then said _"Oh Meg, there's nothing more I like you to be able to do than see your sister, but right now we need to get the last of our crops in...and besides you probably shouldn't be traveling far for the next few weeks anyway."_

Meg was going to ask why to, his last statement, until Jack placed his hand on her swollen abdomen and began to gently rub her belly.

_"Oh yeah the baby, I'd sort of forgot..." _ Meg gasped.

Jack chuckled as he continued to touch her _"Yeah we should let Junior cook here for a bit longer before we go rushing off to Denver." _ he said as he placed a kiss to her belly.

_"Junior? What if it's a girl?' _she questioned, amused to hear his answer.

_"Aw a girl would be fine, so long as she's like her mother, red haired and frisky."_ he chuckled.

_"You think I'm frisky? Well I guess our baby...oh did you feel that?_" she gasped as the baby moved.

_"Yep frisky as a new colt, just like her _mama." he said as he leaned his cheek against her.

_"Or papa, if truth be told." she chuckled._

_"Oh you want frisky, how about this?_" he chuckled as he proceeded to blow a raspberry against her belly.

Meg began to laugh and then _said "Hahaha, Oh Jack, that's just silly!"_

_"Oh you want frisky, fine _then..." he said with a mischievous gleam in his eye.

Jack then proceeded to kiss her and unbutton the top of her gown to touch her breasts, but when he rolled over her and began to lift her skirt, she questioned him.

_"Ah ha so that's what ya meant by frisky? Hmmm, I don't mind too much, but are ya sure ya wanna see my belly outside here?_" she laughed a bit embarrassed.

_"Aw Meg, it's nothing the good Lord and myself haven't seen before...I just wanted to...ya know...once more...anyway I think you're beautiful just the way you are." _Jack tried to say, though at a bit of a loss for words.

_"Aw thanks Jack, love you too...Aw just kiss me _boy..." she chuckled as she pulled him down toward her and he cradled her in his arms the best he could to have their time of love.

After awhile, Meg woke up realizing that she must've fallen asleep outside on their blanket. She could feel Jack spooned around her with his arm wrapped around her shoulder and could hear him whisper something about going in before they caught a chill. Meg started to get up, Jack motioned for her to stay down while he got up. Then he helped her stand, wrapped the blanket around her shoulders, and led her back into the cabin, where they changed out of the rest of their clothes and just curled up in bed to sleep the rest of the night until morning.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter **12**

The next morning, Meg awoke to the sunlight filtering in through the windows, illuminating the dust particles that still clung to the air. She rolled over, half expecting her husband to be long gone out to chore, but surprisingly he was still there. His warmth a welcome presence in the bed now. She turned to him and snuggled against him listening to his heartbeat, her cheek pillowed by the fine hair on his chest, breathing in the masculine scent that was only him.

After what seemed like only a short while, Meg could feel Jack rubbing her shoulder and whispering in her ear words of endearment. Letting her know that she was loved and he would've loved to stay there longer, but he needed to see to chores on the farm, so he should better get up.

Reluctantly Meg got up as well, pulled a wrapper around her burgeoning frame, and went over to the stove to fix breakfast. Jack saw her efforts as he came in, still slightly damp from washing up at the pump outside. He came over, wrapped his arms around her and whispered to _her "Thank you for making breakfast, you don't realize what you do means to me. How much you just being here means. I'll do what I can to help find your sister, but sometimes love takes patience. Be patient love and it will work out to God's plan."_

Meg still found herself second guessing Jack's ideas about things being God's plan, especially when she wished more things in her life would go the way she wanted them to go._ "Okay Jack I'll try to be patient, though it isn't easy. I understand how it is sometimes and I must admit patience isn't my strongest virtue but I'll try to be patient, and trust God...and of course you!_" she said with tears in her eyes.

Time seemed to stand still as they held each other for just that moment longer, until the rest of the day and its responsibilities came crowding upon them once more.

Jack went out to work on some of the chores that needed done around the farm while Meg began cleaning up the dishes from breakfast, scrubbing the table, counters, sweeping the floor, seeing to Henry's needs, and so forth.

The morning was progressing fairly well, and after awhile Meg picked up the clothes and the washing equipment, then led Henry along as she decided to wash clothes outdoors in the sunshine. It had been a dry spring, and Meg knew that she'd have to be careful when setting up her laundry stew to boil out back of the cabin, as well as keeping an eye on Henry to make sure he didn't wander off too far.

She had just gotten to work scrubbing the stains out of Jack's pants, had set some of Henry's diapers to soak in a basin off to the side, and was letting her mind wander a bit contemplating how she was going to keep the flowers she'd transplanted outside the cabin watered, when she smelled the faint scent of smoke. She suddenly looked up and saw along the horizon a long set of clouds, which she at first thought were rainclouds. Then it suddenly dawned on her that it might be a fire, though she wondered how that could be, since she couldn't imagine one so big.

Meg picked up Henry then and started to collect the laundry, when Jack came running up to yelling_ "Meg get Henry and run down to the stream NOW! FIRE PRAIRIE FIRE!!_!"

Meg was stunned speechless for the moment and just stood there staring at the line of fire in the distance, slowly creeping toward their farm. Suddenly she snapped out of her daze, picked Henry up, and ran down to the stream. The run was a bit cumbersome to do while pregnant, especially while trying to carry a crying toddler, but somehow she was able to get down to the stream.

Once there, Meg and Henry waded into the water to wait on what would come next. After what seemed like only a few minutes, a wagon pulled up to the stream and Meg realized it was the Mrs. Nilsson and several of her children. Even though in the past Mrs. Nilsson hadn't been one of Meg's favorite people, she was still glad to see anyone come by to the stream.

Mrs. Nilsson quickly saw Meg and approached her, bringing several of her children along._ "Hello there girly how're ja faring up today? Glad to see ja made it to the stream safe and sound wit da baby an' all._" Mrs. Nilsson said.

_"I'm fine...we're fine though a little cold. Have you seen Jack at all?_" Meg asked, slightly pleading.

_"Och no, but my husband jest tol' me to hurry the chil'ren down 'ere as quick as I could, so into the wagon we went. Did ya bring a shawl? Need to keep close to da water so's when the fire comes it doesn't burn you and da kinder._" Mrs. Nilsson said as she went on to scold her son.

_"No I'm sorry, I guess I just grabbed Henry and ran too fast._" Meg said slightly embarrassed, as she hugged Henry to her.

_"Och it doesn't matter, hand me da boy and jest go up to the wagon and grab a blanket out of there, then head back down here._" Mrs. Nilsson said a bit exasperatedly.

Meg complied, handing Henry over to Mrs. Nilsson, while she scrambled up the bank to the Nilsson's wagon. She was able to reach a blanket just in time, before a shower of sparks came blowing in the wind over the hill behind the wagon. Meg quickly grabbed the blanket and went down to the stream, where Mrs. Nilsson was waiting.

_"Och good girl, jest take da blanket, soak it in da water, and put it around you and the boy, like this."_ Mrs. Nilsson said as she demonstrated that with her own blanket.

Meg grabbed Henry, dipped the blanket in the stream, and threw it around her shoulders as she held the baby. She then asked Mrs. Nilsson _"Hey how did you know how to do this?"_

_"Och jest keep doing dat an' you'll be okay. Uh when I was younger, before I married Mr. Nilsson, I was caught in a fire dat burnt the whole village I lived in. Had to learn the hard way how to keep safe." _Mrs. Nilsson said as she gathered her children around her.

Suddenly Meg looked up when she heard more sounds, realizing that people from the local Indian reservation, as well as another family, had also converged at this point in the stream. Mrs. Nilsson began mumbling something about the Indians, when suddenly the roar and heat of the fire came especially close.

_"Middle of da river! Moove to the middle!_" Mrs. Nilsson shouted as she splashed closer to the center of the stream where it was deep enough to go under. Meg knew she could swim, had learned to as a child growing up in Ireland, but with being pregnant and with Henry in tow, it became a daunting task.

She grabbed Henry tighter to body, had him wrap his little arms around her and tried to speak soothing words to him, while she took a deep breath and plunged underwater for the first time.

The water was a bit murky with everyone splashing in it to take cover from the fire, but Meg kept plunging herself and Henry underwater two, three, four, five times. Over and over she and the others repeated this action as the sky around them glowed red, cinders and heat raining down on them.

By early evening the heat and cinders seemed to be slowing down quite a bit, but everyone was still concerned, so they continued to remain by the edge of the stream. Meg was beginning to feel waterlogged and Henry was getting tired, so she sat him down. Mrs. Nilsson saw Meg begin to wilt and quickly relieved her from holding Henry, leading her over to the bank to rest.

_"Och I shoulda remembered, ja gonna have a wee 'un soon. Rest rest, gimme da boy and rest girl."_ Mrs. Nilsson chided.

_"Oh I'm sorry Mrs. _Nilsson..." Meg said obviously tired.

_"Och call me Mara...an' Meg you're a goot girl, strong girl. Ja did goot but now's time to _rest." Mara said more soothingly as she wrapped the blanket, which had then dried considerably in the hours since Meg had initially jumped in the stream to keep safe.

_"Oh Mrs...Mara thank you! I'm so tired, but I'm also worried, worried about Jack_!" Meg said obviously nearly spent.

_"Oh child, it's okay to worry...but you need to have faith that the good Lord will see you through. Come let's pray for your husband, and my husband too...Dear _Lord..." Mara said comfortingly to Meg, then began to pray aloud to the Lord, quoting various scripture of comfort along the way.

Meg just let herself be overcome by Mara's prayer, and leaned against her and little Henry as Mara and others around them broke into spontaneous prayers of deliverance.

Meg didn't realize she'd fallen asleep, until she felt Henry rub up against her shoulder. She heard voices around her and looked up, her eyes falling on a figure with his shirt off and a shock of hair falling over one eye. The setting sun was in her eyes, but when she heard him _say "Hello _Meg", she became charged with an energy she didn't know she possessed at that moment. Meg scrambled up from her spot and tackled Jack, nearly knocking him over from the spot where he crouched. She buried her face against his neck, gripping the feel of him, breathing in his scent which at hat moment was a mixture of woodsmoke, horse sweat, dust, and his own particle scent.

Meg let her tears flow as Jack just held her for a moment, stroking her hair and holding her close. He then pulled her back, held her face in his hands, and wiped a tear away with his thumb, then _said "Hello Meg, did you miss me_?"

Meg just nodded, with tears in her eyes, then closed her eyes as he stroked her cheek. Jack then just stared straight in her eyes, then brought her face to hers and their lips met in a kiss that just let out all of their built up emotions they'd held up until that point.

Soon they realized they'd had an audience, so Jack broke the kiss, chuckled, then took Meg by the shoulder, leading her to the side of the stream where they could have some privacy.

_"So Meg, were you a bit worried about me_?" Jack said his voice husky.

_"Oh yes of course, Jack! I was more than just worried, I was downright scared_!" Meg said, her voice wavering.

_"Well I'm glad to know you _care." he said, a slight tease to his voice.

_"Oh Jack, I more than just care...I...I love you...though I didn't know how you felt about me when it took so long for you to come back...."_ Meg admitted, and would have gone on longer, but suddenly Jack got a look on his face and just grabbed her face toward his and brought his lips down on hers once more.

After few breathtaking moments, Jack pulled away, and looking into her eyes with a twinkle in his own eyes. Then he said to her, his voice _husky, "Well what does that tell you about how I feel?"_

Meg just smiled up at him and almost giggled, but then a serious look crossed her face and her demeanor changed to a serious note. She then _said "Oh Jack I just remembered...how was it? How was the fire? What kept you so long?"_

Jack pulled away from her then, rocking back on his heels. It was then Meg noticed that a scab had formed on his right temple, just above his eyebrow. She began to reach up to touch it, but he grabbed her hand and held it in his.

It was then he looked in her eyes, hesitatingly saying _"Oh Meg...I'm sorry...but it was so bad...it's all gone now..." _his voice breaking with sorrow.

_"What do you mean all gone?"_ Meg asked, her voice wavering.

_"Oh Meg, darling...the fire swept across the prairie too fast...the barn...crops,,,even the cabin...all gone!" _he said his voice breaking slightly, although he held in his pure distress so well that he didn't let a tear fall.

Meg more than made up for his emotions, and just took him in her arms, comforting both her husband and herself in the same gesture. After a few moments, Jack held her away momentarily and wipes away one of his wife's tears, _and "Oh Meg, I know when we married and they said 'For Better or Worse' I'd wished to spare you from this challenge, but I guess I couldn't. Still I'm glad we're here, we'll face this challenge, head on, together. We'll make it, together."_

Meg just nodded in agreement, then repeated the _word "Together..."_ letting then events of the day sink in and emotion wash over the both of them as they sat there holding each other in the sunset.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter **13**

They made camp along the riverside that night, and decided to investigate what was left of their property the next day. Camping out in a tent of sorts wasn't easy for Jack, Meg, and little Henry, but they knew that they'd have to make due with what they were left with, just like everyone else.

Huddled against her husband in their little tent, Meg peered out through a gap in the tent flap. She stared up at the thousands of stars in the night sky and sent a silent prayer heavenward, so thankful that her family was spared no matter the loss of their personal possessions. Things could be replaced, but people were irreplaceable indeed.

The next day, Meg got up when the sun was streaming through the tent flap. She thought she was early, but when she reached across the pallet, Jack was already missing. She rolled out of bed and left the tent, not sure what to expect, when she heard water splashing and saw Jack crouching along the bank of the stream, washing his face and neck. He heard her coming and turned to her, water streaming off his face.

_"Hello Meg!...Bwah nothing like a refreshing stream in the morning!...So it's good to see you're up._" Jack mumbled while wiping off his face.

_"Yeah I'm awake, but it's good see that you're up too. Is that breakfast I smell?" _Meg commented jokingly as she gave him a hug.

_"Very observant of you! Yes I happened to get a little something around, though you can help me finish it up." _he commented as he hugged her back.

Meg checked what Jack had been doing and found that he had a few fish roasting on a rack that appeared to have been made by lashing a few willow branches together. _"Hey Jack hon, interesting way to cook fish! How did you figure that out?"_

_"Oh it's just an ol' indian trick I learned a few years ago. Makes a great method of cooking fish if you don't have a pan, and if you leaven them on long enough you'll get dried meat as well." _Jack commented as he watched Meg inspect his contraption.

Meg nodded her head and continued to inspect the fish. Then she suddenly said _"Jack you said yesterday that we could visit our place today and so I was wondering..." _as her voice trailed off in the end.

Jack hesitated a bit, then said _"Meg, I just thought I'd warn you that there isn't very much left. Not much left at all. But if you really want to see it, then I guess we could. I just thought I'd warn you."_

"_It's fine Jack, I'm just curious, that's all. What I am glad for though is that you, Henry, and so many of our neighbors are safe." _Meg said as she dealt with the fish.

After their light breakfast, Jack helped Meg clean up around their campsite, then they decided to inspect their property for damage. They were fortunate that their property was only a short distance away from the stream, just over the ridge, still Jack was kind and helped to carry little Henry so that Meg didn't have to.

When they came to their property, to the place where their cabin had once stood, Meg gasped in horror and started to cry. Jack drew her into his arms, holding her tightly against his body as she sobbed all of her anguish and pent up emotions into his soot and sweat stained cotton shirt.

The soot and the smell of smoke still clung to the heavy air, causing Henry and even Meg to cough a bit. Feeling concerned Jack asked _them "Are you all right?"_

_"Huh...Yeah Jack I'm fine I guess...I just...inhaled a bit of the bad air around here...[cough cough]"_ Meg answered with a cough.

_"That's good...Lets get back to the river before you two have any more problems._" Jack said soothingly as he attempted to guide Meg away from the burnt out cabin.

_"Okay...but oh Jack what are we going to do? What are we going to do about a house_?" Meg moaned while looking back at the rubbish that had once been their cabin.

_"Well Meg, speaking of that, look over at that ridge. Do you see the hole in the side of the hill? Well that there hole over yonder was the dugout my brother & his wife, and I lived in when we first arrived on the claim. We only stayed there a few months, but it looks like it survived the fire! I tell you God has given us provisions where we haven't even thought." _Jack went on to say.

_"We're going to live in a hole in the side of a hill? Like a gopher?" _ Meg asked a bit perplexed.

_"Nah...well maybe it is a bit like a gopher, but you'll see it'll be snug. And it'll get us by until we can build something better and continue to prove up the claim."_ Jack said, as he directed her toward the dugout.

The inside of the dugout proved to be dark and damp, as Meg had at first feared, but then when she got a better look at it she saw that it did have promise indeed. Sure what furniture it had consisted of a worn table, a barrel or two to be used as chairs, a few crates someone had stacked against one wall as shelving, and a small wooden bed with old pallet bedding, but compared to their tent or nothing at all, it seemed like a near castle.

Then suddenly the crofters cottage that her gran had had back in Ireland came to mind, and Meg realized that after the tumbledown shape that had become after the owners came and burnt it out, was much worse in the end than this dugout, so she and her little family were truly blessed despite everything.

_"Yeah Jack, it is quite the home indeed...but I think that we'll be able to make a go of it, you'll see. Tis better than what me gran's cottage was in the end, so I'm glad we have it. I think I have some ideas to make it more of a home, even with what we have. Still though you and Henry are my greatest blessings, and I am so glad that you two were able to make it safe, fire or no."_ Meg said as she inspected their new home and gave her husband a hug.

_"Ah yes, you are a treasure my girl, Meg. A treasure worth more than gold...or all the cabins on the _prairie." Jack said as he gave her a hug back.

_"Well I don't know if I'm worth that much, haha...but thanks for your _love." Meg said as she hugged him back.

After a bit then they began to help each other clean up the dugout, and then their neighbors came by and they also began to help each other clean up and communicated their needs. Jack and Meg discovered that the Nilsson's were also going to clean up their old soddy and continue to rebuild despite the setbacks that the fire had caused the community. Fortunately for them, their barn was still intact so Mr. Nilsson said that h e and his sons would help Jack rebuild his barn as a sod barn until he could afford a shipment of lumber for a real barn raising.

The real feeling of community which was came as a result of the fire, was an unexpected bonus to the families of the area. It helped not only to rebuild each other houses, barns, and farms, but also helped to build relationships that otherwise many not have been able to be build just because of the busyness that running one's farm often entailed.

Meg was able to learn some canning tips from Mara Nilsson and quilting tips from Mattie Wilson, another neighbor to their north. Then Mrs. Miller, the local pastor's wife, came by and suggested a few scriptures, which combined with the quilting and the canning, turned into quite the ladies group indeed.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter **14**

Jack and Meg also continued to rebuild their farm bit by bit. Although the fire had wiped out many of their early crops, amazingly a planting of wheat that hadn't sprouted yet prior to the fire, suddenly began to grow and thrive, proving that even plants can survive. It only a few weeks time they had a rippling wheat field rolling over their gently rolling terrain for several acres at least. Proving up was continuing to be a challenge, but the young couple counted their blessings where they could, in the simple, ordinary things in life.

One day though, a few weeks after the fire and after things started growing again, Meg woke up aching, but she didn't tell Jack right away, thinking that it was just the normal aches of late pregnancy. She attempted to tidy up their dugout, but soon felt like she needed to rest, which she did. After a nap that lasted longer than she'd intended, Meg woke up to more pains, as Jack walked through the door.

Jack rushed over to her side and asked, _"Meg is it your time now? Should I ride out to get the doctor or Mrs. Nilsson, or something"_

_"Uh maybe you can...I don't feel so good...oh...._" Meg moaned as she laid on her bed.

_"All right, I'll go hitch up the team and be back in a bit, hold on._" Jack said as he ran out the door.

_"Okay, I think I'll be fine, but hurry._" Meg said as she tried to sit up.

Meg's pains were starting to lessen some, so she decided to stand up and walk to the door. When she looked out though, she saw Jack sitting on the ground holding his foot and trying to peel off his boot.

_"Jack what happened to you?_" Meg said as she rushed out to his side and knelt down.

_"Oh that blasted wagon rolled over my foot! I hadn't fashioned the grey into his traces yet, because I was in such a hurry, and he rolled the wagon over my foot."_ Jack said gritting his teeth.

_"Well hopefully nothing's broken, but I we probably should go back to the cottage and get your boot off. Here lean on _me." Meg said as she tried to shift under his weight.

_"Oh but I'm too heavy to lean on you and anyhow aren't you having the baby?_" Jack said as he tried to not burden Meg with his weight.

_"Aw Jack I'm stronger than ye think, plus anyhow the pains aren't so bad right now. Don't be a fool and just lean on me, it's okay._" Meg said as she wrapped his arm around her shoulders and helped him hobble back to their home.

They made it back and Meg helped Jack onto a chair then knelt down to remove his boot. She'd just removed his boot and was rubbing his foot to check for broken bone or swelling, when another labor pain seized her.

_"Oh ow, oh are you in pain too Meg? Aw we're a fine pair, you're having our baby and now I have a bum foot."_ Jack said with a grimace.

_"Oh Jack...your foot doesn't really feel broken, but you'll have to be careful. Me...well how did your sister-in-law deliver Henry? Did she have a midwife or a doc handy or anything?_" Meg said.

_"No, I don't think so, but then look what happened to her!_" Jack said a bit panicked.

_"Well love I think from the way thing are at the moment, you're going to help me deliver this baby, papa Jack."_ Meg said through a groan.

_"Oh great...What do I need to do_?" Jack said.

_"Well we should have boiling hot water and clean cloths, but the water...I don't know how we'll do it with your leg...maybe I should go out and draw water."_ Meg moaned.

_"Don't worry about it Meg, you said you thought my foot wasn't that bad...maybe you can hand me that stick over there and I can hobble out to get _water." Jack said as Meg handed him a stick which he attempted to fashion into a crutch.

_"Well you can try...but be careful and don't hurt yourself anymore."_ Meg said as she lay on the bed.

Jack hobbled out and soon hobbled in with a bucket of water that he emptied into a large stockpot they had on their stove. He added a cowchip to get the fire stoked a bit higher, then hobbled over to where Meg was laying on the bed.

_"There see I got it done. Water will start to boil soon I reckon...so how're you doing_?" Jack asked.

_"Oh I've felt better, haha, but thank you so much love. I just hope your foot will be fine."_ Meg said between groans.

_"Oh I think I'll be fine, though it might be awhile until my foot's completely _healed." Jack said, looking down at his bandaged foot.

Jack and Meg continued to talk, mainly to get each other's mind off of each other's pain, until Meg got to the point where she sensed she was going to have the baby soon.

_"Hey Meg what are you doing?"_ Jack asked as he watched her scoot up on the bed.

_"Oh...well I think it's time for our baby to make it's _appearance..." Meg said in a pained voice.

_"Really? Already? What do I need to do?"_ Jack asked, astonished.

_"I guess just come over here and catch the baby when it comes _out." Meg said.

_"Okay then...I'll be _careful." Jack gulped.

He hobbled over to the bed and sat on the end, just below where Meg was giving birth. He gulped again when he saw everything, but held his own as the minutes passed.

Finally the baby's head emerged and soon the rest of the body, with a lusty cry. Jack caught the baby just in time and tried not to smear the after birth around too much.

_"Oh Meg we have a beautiful baby girl! "_ Jack said with a tear in his eye.

_"Oh Jack let me have the baby!...Aw she is _beautiful..." Meg cooed as she held their daughter close.

_"Aw she's beautiful because she looks like you, red hair and all..._" Jack said.

_"You think I'm beautiful, even like this?"_ Meg asked teasingly.

_"I think you're beautiful no matter what you've just done."_ Jack said as he gave her a kiss.

_"So what do you want to name our daughter_?" Jack asked.

_"How about Mellody Scarlet Ericsson? Do you think that sounds fine?_" Meg asked.

_"Mellody Scarlet? Hey that's kinda pretty. Yeah I think that will work out just fine, Meg. Hello Mellody Scarlet, welcome to our world._" Jack said as he stroked the baby's head with his hand and gave her a kiss.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter **15**

The summer progressed on, with finally the crops that were left coming in. Meg noticed how quickly time was passing as her little daughter grew. She had fun taking her daughter outside with her as she pegged up the laundry, watching the clothes flap in the breeze. Listening to the birds sing on the breeze as it blew across the wide open prairie, smelling the scents of nature on the open land. Watching the sun set over the expanded horizon and wink behind the clouds, turning them to pinks and blues and other such hues. Watching the babies run barefoot through the yard, sitting outside with your loved one on the front of the house, holding hands and talking about the end of the day. All the joys of prairie life and more.

Still though from time to time Meg thought of her sister and where she might be then. Meg hoped and prayed that Heather was being treated well, even if she couldn't see her right then. Meg expressed her concerns to Jack, but he just told her to be patient and perhaps a response to the letter she had written would come some day soon.

One day Jack came back from a trip to town for supplies. Along with the supplies, he also brought a letter which had arrived postmarked to Meg. He brought the letter in along with the supplies and handed it to her after she'd finished feeding the baby. Meg open the letter and read it to herself at first, then began to exclaim aloud.

_"Oh my!"_

_"Oh did you get good news?" _ Jack inquired.

_"Oh yes, Jack. This letter is from the family who adopted Heather! According to this, she's doing fine and getting along with her brothers and sisters quite well. Apparently the family has adopted several other children with physical impairments, and they are familiar with some of the issues that Heather has. These people must be real angels of mercy, I'd say!_" Meg enthused.

_"Well that's good! See Meg I told you that all would work out in the end. So where are they from anyway?_" Jack asked.

_"Let's see...according to the postmark...and it says here in the letter...they live in Denver, Colorado. And they said that if we wanted to visit Heather sometime, that we should just send them a note to let them know, then come around their way whenever we agree. Oh Jack do you think that we could_?..." Meg said as her voice trailed off, lost in thought.

_"Well, I don't know if now's a good time but...I know how much you've been wanting to see your sister since you two were separated on that train._" Jack pondered aloud.

_"Oh do you think we could? Oh I would really love _to..." Meg sighed.

_"Well if I could get one of our neighbors to remember to check on our livestock and do what needs to be done, I suppose we could spare a quick trip...although I'm not sure how we can come up with train fare for you, I, and the children. Plus do you really think the children would behave_?..." Jack pondered.

_"Oh that'd be great if you could get one of the neighbors to help out. And I'll take care of the children, don't worry they'll be so quiet that you won't that they're there. And as far as the fare, but maybe God will rain pennies from heaven because he wants us to go._" Meg said.

_"Well I just hope you don't use any of your granny's irish whiskey on the children...and sometimes God doesn't always work that way, sending pennies from Heaven when you want._" Jack laughed, then became slightly stern.

_"Oh it'll work out all right, I just know it will! You'll see!_" Meg exclaimed.

_"Ha ha, well I'm glad I'm married to Mrs. Optimistic. Though it seems like you're more optimistic when it involves something you want in life._" Jack chuckled, as he went on to read his paper.

_"Well...maybe you're sometimes right in that..."_ Meg shyly mused, then put the letter in a safe place, and went on to further care for her children.

Interestingly enough, the next day when Jack asked his neighbor for help, he agreed to it right away. Simultaneously Meg wrote a telegram to the family who'd adopted her sister Heather, and even before she left town she got reply back asking when would be the best time for them to visit and if they needed any assistance in the matter of train fare to Denver. Meg was overjoyed by the answer and knew she had to tell Jack right away.

When she told Jack, he was still a bit skeptic that some of it was all pennies from Heaven, but he was pleased that some of it was working out so well for Meg's sake. Still he knew their blessings would run their course in due time, so they had to take advantage of the situations as they came. They began packing right away for the trip. Meg was able to pack for the trip quickly since they didn't have as many things after the fire.

Jack and Meg gathered their luggage and the two children and headed out for the train station in their wagon. Amazingly the trip that far went smoothly and after several hours of traveling, they reached the town and the train station. Jack found a set of benches off to the side and tried to make himself and his family comfortable. Meg curled up on the bench beside Jack, leaning on his shoulder, while little Henry curled up on Jack's lap, and Scarlet slept in her basket, pressed against Meg's lap. The little family attempted to rest a few hours until the train came into the station with enough noise to rouse them from sleeping.

Once the train arrived, the family woke up and readied themselves to board, then boarded the train on the first passenger car. They took seats near the back of that car and attempted to settle in without much fuss, settling the babies in for another rest. Jack began reading the newspaper he'd purchased at the station, while Meg settled Henry down to continue his nap, then began to feed Scarlet under a blanket.

Meg then looked around the train at the other passengers. There were men in business suits and others in the clothes of a rancher or farmer. There were a few well dressed ladies and men, and others who lived off the land like themselves, as well as a few soldiers, and so forth. Mostly it was the general type of passengers who traveled on trains most of the time.

Meg then looked across the aisle and saw another young couple of about the same age as herself and Jack. The woman had dark auburn hair that was pulled back into a ponytail, and was wearing a teal color dress that was a little faded, and had a pair of glasses on while she was reading her book. The man beside the woman was wearing wool work slacks and a white cotton shirt with a coat and a vest, civilian rancher's clothes, but with the hat of a Union soldier. The man was fairly broad and strongly built, with dirty blond hair that had grown a bit long, an aristocratic nose, and a strong chin that was covered by a beard. He would've been a classically striking man, if it wasn't for the scar that seemed to run down part of his face and was half covered by the beard on his chin. He was attempting to sleep, while the woman beside him read her book.

After a moment, Meg noticed too that the woman looked to be several months pregnant, and so piqued by her curiosity, she started up a conversation.

_"H, is that a good book?" _Meg asked.

_"Oh yes, it's supposed to be about child rearin' although my mama would probably know more than this author." _the girl said with a distinct Southern American twang.

_"Yeah I think I know what you mean. So when's your baby due? Oh excuse me, my name's Megan Ericsson." _Meg said.

_"Oh pleased to meet you. My name is AriBelle Fisburne Adams and I'm due in a few months. So how old are your two?"_ AriBelle asked, setting down her book.

_"Oh well, the little boy is almost two and the little girl is three and a half months old. Actually the boy is really my nephew through marriage. My husband had to take in his brother's son after he was born after his brother and sister-in-law's deaths. So we're raising them both." _Meg said.

_"Oh my that's interesting. Mmm, you don't sound like you're from around here...so when did you arrive? I always like to meet new people." AriBelle_ asked.

"_Oh well it's quite the story. A few years ago my sister and I came over from Ireland to live with our aunt and we did for awhile...until our aunt died and I had my accident. Times were tough again, I mus admit, though eventually we were helped by the Children's Aide Society in Boston...and we actually traveled out here on an orphan train over a year ago._" Meg explained.

_"Oh my, really? So how'd you go from Orphan Train...to this? Go on..."_ AriBelle asked.

_"Oh, well that's quite the story. Well you see, I was actually over 16 when I was riding with the Orphan Train, though my sister was only eight. My sister is partially deaf and blind, so I was taking care of her...until I became ill on the ride and my sister was adopted out without my knowing it so. Anyway, I went with the train all the way to California without being taken in and was on the way back to Boston, when we stopped at the town my husband and I got on. Well as I said before, my had his nephew to look after and when he saw the Orphan Train in town, he thought he could maybe adopt one of the older kids to help care for his nephew and with the chores. When he saw me, he first thought he was getting a little sister...but after we learned each other's real ages...we thought it would be best to just marry instead. We thought it'd just be a marriage of convenience...but well...you can see..._haha..." Meg softly chuckled as she finished her story.

_"Aw...that's so sweet, so romantic! It makes a great story too! Aw, and it's almost as good as the story of how my husband Derick and I _met." AriBelle exclaimed.

_"Your story? Well I've gotta hear this!_" Meg asked, suddenly intrigued.

_"Well I was born a coal miner's daughter, in a cabin on a hill near Butcher's Holler. My family was sorta poor but we had a lot of love and I was the second oldest of eight kids. I never thought I'd leave, but that was before the war and before I met Derick Adams. _

_It was back just before the war finished several years ago. I was out just getting back from checking on my daddy down at the Van Lear coal mine, when I heard a sound ahead a ways. I was always a curious sort and loved to help people in need, be it critter or man. Anyway, I had just climbed over the hill, when I saw Derick laying out in the snow in a heap, half bleeding to death it seemed. I rolled him onto my pony, and carted him off to this little cabin my daddy had back in the woods a ways. I helped him in, giving him a shoulder to lean on, laid him on a cot there, and tended his wounds. _

_He was quite the site and his face looked even worse then than it does now. He even needed to have his eyes bandaged for a while, and my did that not help his temperament any. To be perfectly honest, he acted like a real beast sometimes, growling around like a bear from at first his wounds, then his eye bandages. I even told him so, but he just growled back that if he was the beast, then I must be the beauty, because I had a beautiful voice. I laughed that off at first, and told him I felt more like an angel of mercy than an angel of music. _

_Aw we had our times. Me taking care of him and dealing with his temper and various comments...and when he saved me from being attacked by a wolf when I tried to go back home and he then tried to keep me at the cabin at gunpoint....but I was able to talk him out of that. Anyway though it helped once I began reading him the Bible and singing little songs I made up for him. We began to get along fine, and all would've been fine...if it wasn't for the fact that Derick was a Yankee and my daddy and brothers hated Yankees, especially after our neighbor's son Johnny came back from the war in barely a pine box._

_When my brother Beau found out about Derick and where I'd been wandering off to every day, it wasn't pretty. They got into a fight, though Derick was barely healed, and when I realized I loved him, I knew I had to go where he went. My daddy eventually consented and we married, but we had to promise to stay away from the home place whilst my brothers are around. We then moved to Iowa, Nebraska, and Colorado, but now I heard that daddy's sick, so I wanted to go home no matter what my brothers _think..." AriBelle said, her voice trailing off in the end.

_"Oh my AriBelle, that is quite the story too! I'll keep you in my prayers, that's for sure!"_ Meg said comfortingly.

_"Thank you, Meg, please do._" AriBelle said softly.

Meg and AriBelle continued talking until AriBelle's husband, Derick woke up from his nap and nudged her in the arm, indicating that he wanted her attention, then. As Derick and AriBelle talked amongst themselves, Meg lay the baby down in her basket and glanced out the window of the train, watching the countryside as they rolled on by.

A while later, Meg woke with a start after she realised that she had fallen asleep. She'd been dreaming about her family and her sister. She'd dreamt that she was traveling on the orphan train again with her sister, but also Jack, Henry, and Scarlet were along and they kept telling her _"You've gotta make a choice Meg. You've gotta make a choice..."_

Jack tapped her on the shoulder and asked her a question about money to buy food for their family and that they were getting close to the next depot. Meg had to clear her thoughts, then told him in a low tone where he could find some extra money for a bite to eat.

As she watched, Jack stood up out of his seat then picked up Henry and carried him to the back of the car, tears came to her eyes as he walked away. She realized then that even though she still loved her sister with her whole heart, Jack had taken an irreplaceable place in her heart as well. He could've refused her this trip, especially given the drama from the past few months, but he didn't. She knew then that he must really love her as well, and that she should treat him well too.

When he came back to their seats with a few sandwiches wrapped in waxed paper, Meg grabbed his arm and rubbed his back, saying "_Jack, I know I do not say it enough, but...Thank you...for everything. For taking me in, for agreeing to this trip to see my sister, for loving me through everything. Jack, I know I haven't always been the easiest person sometimes, but I really do love you."_

_"Aw Meg, I know. Thanks for telling me again...but I already know."_ Jack said as he wrapped his arms around her and drew her close. Then he continued, _"Actually, I should be saying the same to you because I know I'm not perfect either, still though I love you too. I've been thinking about it, I needed someone to take care of my nephew so I go off, marry a girl I hardly know, and soon get her pregnant. Then within a few months time there were our issues with our relationship at first, that run-in with Mrs. Brace, our crops, the fire, everything! I've probably been unfair and put you through too much..." _trailing off on his last admission.

Meg leaned close to him and rubbed his shoulder as she spoke. _"Oh Jack, you don't need to feel guilty about any of it. Babies are often a part of any healthy marriage, so don't feel bad about little Scarlett. Be thankful that she and Henry are as good and healthy of children as they are. As far as the fire, that couldn't have been totally stopped and I just thank the good Lord every day that we were spared any major harm. As far as Mrs. Brace or the baggage from my past that I brought into our marriage...well I'm glad that you were able to deal with all of that with your grace. I'm sorry if I've put you through a lot so far, but yeah I'm not perfect either."_

_"Oh Meg, I didn't expect you to be perfect...but that's fine. I guess we were made for each other hmmm_?" Jack chuckled as he wrapped his arm around her and gave Meg a hug.

Meg leaned against his chest and toyed with a button on his shirt, then closed her eyes to rest for awhile as the train traveled on.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter **16**

The next day, morning dawned just as the train pulled into the station of the town where Meg's sister, Heather was living and was being raised by the family who had adopted her from the orphan train a year before. The sun shone brightly through the soot covered windows of the train, giving a hazy appearance to the town from the point of view of the passengers inside the train. Meg attempted to wipe away a section of the grime with her handkerchief to get a better view, but Jack had already risen from his seats and was reaching for their baggage as well as his nephew. He tapped her on the shoulder and handed Meg their sleeping daughter, as he flopped his nephew across his shoulder like a flour sack.

_"Aye Meg, time for exploring soon enough, but our stop's here and it's time to get going. Do you need to collect anything else, or did I get it all?_" Jack whispered to her in her ear.

_"Oh yes, let me _check..." she said as she scanned the seats, then picked up her bag from the floor. _ "Yes I think I have it all. We can get off the train now. Though will a porter help us if we need it?"_

_"Yes I believe so...Okay then lets get going..._" Jack said as he stepped behind his wife to make sure she got off the train fine while carrying the baby.

They stepped out onto the platform of the station and squinted through the sunlight at the town around them. Denver was a busy town with it's variety of citizens and businesses. There were general stores, a barber, an outdoor cafe, a church, a school, a tavern, a sheriff, and even the Mile High Hospital. They were impressed with the various amenities the city had to offer.

Jack asked at the cafe, which also doubled as a hotel, about rooms and then together they asked at the general store about the whereabouts of the family who had taken in Meg's sister, Heather. They were informed of the location and the shopkeeper at the general store said that he would get word to the family that they had visitors.

Jack and Meg then retired to their room with their children to get them settled, before they ventured to the home where Heather now lived. Meg was a bit apprehensive, but Jack attempted to calm her with encouraging and comforting words.

The small family then climbed into their rented buggy and traveled down a few cobblestone streets which were lined with trees on both sides, until they arrived at a beautiful stone house with a picket fence along the front yard. Jack open the gate for Meg and they proceeded to walk down the steppingstone path that led across the manicured lawn to the front porch of the house.

They knocked on the front door and were surprised to have it opened by a teenager in a wheelchair. The girl looked up at them and smiled, welcoming them into the house.

_"Oh hello are you Mr. and Mrs. Ericsson? I'm Theresa and you've come to the right place, if you're here to see Heather and Helen. They're right this way, follow me._" she said as she manuevered her chair down the hall and led them into a spacious kitchen.

Around the table in the kitchen were at least four children working on what seemed like a cross between homework and supper because there were some peeling vegetables, while others were gluing papers together, and another was mixing something in a bowl.

Suddenly a woman looked up from where she'd been standing and helping one of the children and came over to greet them.

_"Oh hello, Mr. & Mrs. Ericsson is it? I'm Julie Ross and as you can see, these are all of my children. Don't mind the mess, we've been working on dinner preparations so far..._" Julie said.

_"Oh no we don't mind, and you can call me Jack and this is my wife Meg, and these are our two little ones Henry and Scarlett._" Jack said as he extended a hand in greeting.

_"Pleased to meet you and aw...aren't the little ones precious? Ah none ours came to us this young, they're little dolls._" Julie said as she reached to hold baby Scarlett.

_"I'm glad you like our babies, because we think they're precious too...Um anyway we came to see Heather..._" Meg said a bit nervously.

_"Oh yes how could I forget? Here lets go into the parlor so Heather can come see you someplace a little less crowded. Follow me."_ Julie said as she continued to carry baby Scarlett down the hall and into a beautifully decorated parlor with a davenport and two horsehair chairs as well as round end-tables, a polished mantle, and an upright piano in one corner. Everything seemed to be in place, in direct contrast to the kitchen and it's lively activity.

Julie left them for a bit while Jack and Meg settled onto the davenport and glanced around the parlor. After a few minutes, Julie Ross came back leading a slightly less rumpled version of the little girl they'd seen stirring something in the mixing bowl. Meg saw Julie lean down and finger spell something into the child's hand, causing her face to light up and the girl to run toward Meg's out-sretched arms.

_"Oh Heather I'm so glad to see you!_" Meg said to her as she hugged her sister, then remembered her sister's disabilities and finger spelled it into her hands.

The little girl began to cry a bit, then settled down as she hugged her older sister Megan. Megan then pulled away from her sister and glanced up at Julie Ross, who was looking at the happy reunion with tears in her own eyes.

Suddenly a tall, broad gentleman with graying hair, a deep voice, and wearing a suit came into the room. He went over to his wife and gave her a kiss on the cheek, then turned to the younger couple on the couch, extending his hand in greeting.

_"I see we have a happy greeting here! Hello I'm Mike Ross and you _are..." he asked.

_"I'm Jack Ericsson and this is my wife Meg, and our two children Henry and Scarlett. We came for a visit because Meg is Heather's older sister._" Jack said as he extended a hand to Mike.

_"Ah yes, I remember now, you were the young couple who asked about Heather's progress. Well let me tell you that although it hasn't always been easy, it's been a pleasure having Heather in our home as our daughter._" Mike said.

_"Yes Heather has been a joy to have in our home. All of the children we've adopted into our home have come to us with their challenges, but Heather has adjusted thus far quite smoothly._" Julie said .

_"All of your children have been adopted? And what do you mean by challenges?_" Meg asked.

_"Well let me explain. A number of years ago we had a child of our own who was born with special needs, disabilities as some might say. That child eventually passed away, but he left a special impression on our hearts, so much so that the good Lord allowed us to adopt six children with special needs as well. We our oldest two are now out of our home though. Mandy is deaf and is now seventeen years old and is attending Gaulledette College, while Leanne who is blind and is now twenty will be graduating from a school for the blind soon...and has recently become engaged to be married to a nice Christian young man she met who's a graduate student at a university near the school. Our other children are Theresa, who is fourteen and was confined to a wheelchair after an accident, Jimmy, who is thirteen and had speech & behavioral issues as a young boy but is doing better now, Tommy, who is ten and has mental disabilities but is improving, and of course Helen and dear Heather, who are both nine now and came with both visual and audio disabilities, but with various therapeutic intervention techniques are improving every day._" Julie said.

_"My, you certainly have quite the children..." _Jack commented.

_"Yes they may have had challenges, but that's only made them all the more special in our eyes." _Mike said.

_"Now that you've seen Heather again, Meg...you're not thinking to..." _Julie asked reluctantly as she gazed at the two sisters.

_"Well...all right I must admit that when we were coming her, I was considering taking her home with us because I've always wondered how she was getting along and was hoping that whoever had taken her in was treating her well...but now I can see that this is the best place for Heather. She can have all the help she needs, and more than we could give her on the farm. Plus now that we have these two babies to care for, I'm afraid that Heather..._" Meg trailed off.

_"Oh Meg, I can understand where you're coming from, and don't feel guilty about it. Yes two children and a farm, plus a child with special needs such as Heather, would be a daunting task for a young woman of your age. By the way, pardon if I may ask...I know that Heather and yourself traveled the same Orphan Train and were placed out in the same summer, yet your son..._" Julie asked curiously.

_"Oh Henry, well let me explain. You see Henry is actually our nephew, my husband Jack's brother's son. It was Jack's older brother and sister-in-law who I was placed out to from the Orphan Train..._" Meg went on to explain, describing briefly how she'd actually been one of the oldest placements on the Orphan Train and that she'd only been Josh and Alena's daughter for only two weeks until their untimely deaths and her sudden marriage to Jack so that wouldn't have to be reassigned anywhere else. Then she even went on to briefly describe some of the drama she and Jack had gone through recently just before their trip to Denver, much to Jack's chagrin.

The Mike and Julie Ross gave them their greatest sympathies and said that if there was anything they could do, be not afraid to ask. Jack let his pride get him a bit and said that he didn't want charity, but the Rosses insisted that they pray with them anyway, and so they did.

The rest of the evening was spent in pleasant conversation around the dinner table, where Meg was able to observe how well Heather fit into her new family and reconfirmed Meg's decision about keeping Heather with the Rosses, whom she'd obviously grown to love.

Afterward, Jack and Meg drove back to their hotel, where Jack congratulated her on being able to make such a mature, though no doubt difficult decision about her sister Heather. He even admitted that if it had been him and his brother, he wasn't sure if he'd be able to make such a decision as that himself.

Meg thanked him and then settled their two babies into bed, thinking about what Jack had just said. She changed into her nightgown and climbed into bed, while Jack changed out of his clothes and crawled in beside her. He laid there starting to fall asleep, until Meg curled against him for a hug and whispered that she was glad that things had worked out the way they had thus far. Even though life wasn't always perfect, he was still a special treasure to her nonetheless.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter **17**

After spending a few days in Denver, Jack and Meg boarded the train for their return trip to their hometown and their farm. Their trip was rather uneventful, for which they were thankful. When they arrived back at their hometown, they were greeted by their neighbor Mr. Nilsson, who picked them up in his wagon to drive them back home.

Once they got back to their farm, they noticed that some of their neighbors had kept up their place quite well, making sure that the chores had been done and even their soddy looked like it had been repaired again, which Meg was appreciative of.

Still though, after having traveled to Denver and seeing what type of house her sister now lived in, Meg began to feel a bit forlorn over their own current housing situation, with having to raise her own babies in a soddy thus far, since the fire.

One evening not long after returning to their farm, Meg was sitting in her chair knitting by the light of a kerosene lamp, while Jack had just come in from outdoors to work on repairs for one of his harnesses. Meg looked up from her knitting and commented,_ "So Jack how are things going with the stock and the crops?"_

_"Oh pretty well, although the grey needs a reshoeing and I need to see what I can do with this harness until I can see a blacksmith sometime...The crops are doing alright although we could use a bit more rain as long it doesn't come too close to harvest. So we're doing pretty well...And you hon?_" Jack said as he worked with the weak part on the harness strap, then glanced up.

_"Oh I'm doing fine. The kids are doing well...but oh Henry got into the flour again and I had to watch out to make sure Scarlett didn't swallow any buttons...but otherwise we're doing fine. Still though..._" Meg said as she glanced at him over her knitting.

_"Still though? Something on your mind Meg_?" Jack said as he gazed at her up from his work.

_"Well it's probably nothing...it's just I know we're saving all of our money and you put in far more hours than you should, so I feel a little guilty wishing...but I wish we could raise our babies in something more than a soddy..._" Meg said with a far off tone of desire in her voice.

Jack became quiet and thoughtful, then _said "Yeah Meg, I want that too...Come here lets go _outside." he said as he reached his hand out to her.

Gazing at him intently, Meg set down her knitting, drew his hand into hers, then followed him outside. Once outside the soddy, he walked her over to a chair that was propped against the wall, and he sat down, drawing her onto his lap.

_"Do you know what I like to do sometimes when I come out here?" _

_"Look at the stars?_" she answered.

_"Yeah you're right. I like to look at the stars and I like to dream...and talk to _God..." he whispered in her ear as he held her close.

_"That's nice...What do you dream about? What do you talk to God about? If you don't mind my asking..."_ Meg asked, while looking him in the eye to the best she could, given the waning light.

_"I don't mind your questions Meggie. I like to dream about all of the ways I wish I could give you and the kids more...like a big beautiful house with all the conveniences, like that woman Julie Ross had. But then I always remember to thank the Lord for all of the blessings he's already given...blessings such as this farm, fair weather when needed, and most of all you and the kids._" he said while gazing at her.

_"You think we're blessings?_" Meg inquired.

_"Of course you're a blessing...don't think otherwise._" he said as he stroked a tendril of hair away from her face. He then glanced up and pointed to the sky, saying _"Oh look a shooting star..."_

Meg glanced up momentarily, then returned to gaze at her husband. He did cut a fine profile in the moonlight, the darkness making his eyes an even deeper blue. It was then that she felt an overwhelming wave of emotion sweep over her. Here was her husband Jack, for all of his foibles and imperfections and all of the times they'd been through thus far, she loved him. She swept away a stray strand of hair from his brow, and then turned his face toward her.

_"Shooting stars indeed! Oh Jack I love to hear of your dreams, but I love you for who you are. You're precious to me, more than you'll know..."_ she said as she stroked his face, leaning in and kissing him.

They kissed and enjoyed their time under the stars, with only the faint sounds of the breeze and the distant howls of wolves.

After a time, they resumed their conversation, where Jack described his idea to bring a few sheep to their farm and eventually expand into ranching and so on, with Meg reassuring him that if he believed in his dreams then they'll all come true, which caused Jack to chuckle.

~*~*~*

Their lives then continued on in the pattern they'd developed over their past year and a half together. They harvested their grain with the help of their neighbors as they'd done the previous year, but with a neighbor's girl taking up the duty of watching the babies.

They attended harvest parties with square dances and husking bees. Food was spread out on the tables in the neighbor's barn, hay bales decorating the corners of the barn, as couples gathered on the dance floor. A fiddler struck up a tune, and soon Jack and Meg were swept up into a lively set of dances. They danced on, sometimes switching partners, having much fun.

Then there was a pie auction where Jack made sure to bid on Meg's pie. Her pie cost him sixty cents, but he thought it was worth it. Still though he thought that he got a better deal than the poor lad who'd picked a pie where the gal who had baked it had mistaken salt for sugar and ended up with a salty dessert.

Jack and Meg left with some of the older couples although they were closer in age to the younger, unmarried people. They'd left earlier so that they could take their babies home and beat the storm which Jack had heard from others were coming. It was a good thing they did too, because the storm did come and buried them in their soddy under drifts of snow.

Meg was glad that Jack had strung a line between the barn and soddy, so that they wouldn't become lost walking between the two locations in a blizzard. Even though the rope provided some reassurance, Meg was still concerned, but Jack reminded her to keep her faith in God that all would be fine, although she still said a silent prayer every time they stepped out the door that winter.

One day that winter, Jack had stepped out of their home to go to the barn and check on some of the animals, while Meg stayed in their soddy to continue with household chores. Meg became busy with what she was doing and didn't notice the time or the change in the weather, until she realized that Jack had been gone for quite awhile.

Fearing the worst after seeing the blizzard that had arisen, she bundled herself up and struck out toward the barn. The she had thought that the weather had calmed somewhat, until she was almost to the barn and a squall hit. She grabbed the lifeline tightly, then saw a shadow moving slowly toward her along the line. Suddenly the shadow stumbled in the snow, and she rushed forward to it.

_"Oh Jack is that you? Come along love, we must get out of this snow..." _Meg mumbled through chattering teeth as she rested his weary body against her.

The Jack just mumbled slightly, while Meg used all of her strength to guide them along the line back to their home, through the blinding snow. It was a slow process at first but finally they made progress back to the house.

When they got there, Meg lay Jack down in front of the fire and began removing his wet and sodden clothing that had frozen to his skin. She then began to message his frozen limbs in an attempt to bring life back to him, all the while softly talking to him.

_"Jack Ericsson, you pretty boy! I cannot let you die, I will not let you die! I love you more than anything on earth! I love you more than life itself! Save your strength my pretty Colorado boy, my husband, my love..." _Meg pleaded with tears in her eyes as she attempted to revive her nearly frostbitten husband, Jack.

Suddenly Meg remembered that skin contact was the best way to save someone from frostbite, so carefully she removed most of her clothing and lay with him there, wrapped in a blanket in front of the fire.

They lay there warming by the fire, Meg speaking soothing words in his ear as she stroked his hair away from his face, then ran her hand down his jaw feeling the stubble that was already growing there. After awhile even Meg fell asleep, as she listened to Jack's even breathing.

A few hours passed, and gradually Meg began to awake and realized that Jack had awoken too, enough that he had rolled over onto her and they began to make love, despite the fact that Jack was still only semi-conscious. Eventually they both fell asleep.

Awhile later, baby Scarlett began to cry, so Meg had to get up and take care of the baby. She wrapped herself in a blanket and sat in the rocker to feed the baby beside the firelight. She sat there staring down at Jack who was just starting to awaken. He noticed Meg sitting in the chair feeding their daughter, wrapped only in a blanket, and then spoke.

_"Oh hello there Meg..."_

_"Hello there yourself, Jack." _Meg chuckled coyly, as she glanced at him from her chair.

_"What happened?...I had the strangest dream that I was lost in a blizzard...then suddenly were at it like our lives depended on it...what a dream!" _he said astonished but still a bit weakly.

_"Like our lives depended on it?...It was something like that...hmm" _she said a bit smugly.

_"So that wasn't a dream? Hmmm, no wonder it was so real...I hope I didn't force you..." _he questioned.

_"No you didn't force me...and though I was a bit surprised, I certainly didn't mind..." _Meg said shyly and winked at him.

_"Ah I thought so..." _he said huskily, then added,_ "Anyway what did happen? The last I remembered I was going check on the stock...then suddenly I was here with you?..."_

_"Well you're mostly right dear. Yes you did leave to check on the stock and to chore, but then when you didn't return after a bit, I thought that I should go check on you...even if I did leave the babies sleeping here in the _house..." Meg explained.

_"Oh Meg how many times have I told you?..._" Jack moaned.

_"Yeah I know Jack...but I just felt that I should go find you. You're my husband, my love, I could never leave you to freeze out in the cold, all alone save for the Lord..._" Meg said her voice breaking with emotion.

_"Well I hope you feel the same way when we're old and gray..._" Jack said.

_"Oh Jack, of course I will. Do I love you? Yes I love you! And I always will..._" Meg said, her voice warm with emotion.

Jack raised a hand out to her and Meg reached out to him, sinking down onto the floor beside him. Meg then reached out and stroked the side of her husband's face, then kissed him there. They held each other close, staring at their little daughter awhile, marveling at their little miracle until the baby fell asleep. Meg put the baby back in her bed, then went back and helped Jack into bed to rest, but neither of them got much rest for awhile, until the kids woke them up to truly start their day.

Jack continued to recuperate the next few days while Meg made sure as many of there chores were done as possible, since life on a farm waits for no one, no matter the weather.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter **18**

The Christmas season was soon upon them, and given the year they'd had that past year, Jack and Meg knew that they would have to pinch their pennies and be creative with their gifts, but they knew that it was the thought that counted most.

With that in mind, Meg decided to knit Jack a new scarf and hat, as well as a new pair of socks, while for the children she altered some dress material she'd found amongst a charity barrel that had been distributed to families in their community after the fire. Some of the items from the barrel hadn't been very practical for prairie life, however with a bit of ingenuity and alterations to what she received, Meg was able to make something a bit more suitable for her family. Meg was able to create a new dress for Scarlett and a new skirt for herself, as well as trousers and a shirt for Henry, and a new shirt for Jack. Meg also created a little rag doll for Scarlett, while Jack told her he would work on a gift for Henry.

When Christmas day came, Meg got up early to prepare a special breakfast for her family and had just put the rolls in the makeshift oven, when a blast of cold air suddenly came blowing in from the open door. Meg looked over her shoulder and started to comment.

_"Whoa Jack shut the door before you let all of the outdoors inside here..."_

Suddenly Jack came up, wrapped his arms around her her, kissed her on the side of her neck near her left ear, and _said "Merry Christmas my love, you feel good and warm on this frosty morning."_

_"Merry Christmas to you too love, Oh yeah just what I need as a gift, your frosty lips. He he I think I can help with that..._" Meg said as she gave him a full on kiss.

They continued their kisses for a few more moments, until Jack yelped_ "Ow I didn't know you were that hot." "Oh no my biscuits! Let me get them out of the oven._" Meg panicked a bit while she pulled her Christmas rolls out of the oven, nearly burning her finger in the process.

_"Oh Meg are you fine?_" Jack asked.

_"No I think I burned my finger...And our breakfast is probably ruined."_ Meg moaned.

_"Don't worry about the breakfast, come here and let me see about that finger."_ Jack said as he proceeded to lead Meg to a chair, then pulled another in front of her and sat own after grabbing a jar of liniment.

_"Now this should make you feel a bit better, just hold still..._" Jack said as he applied the liniment to her finger over the slight burn.

_"Oh Jack what is this stuff you're putting on my finger? It sure smells funny..._" Meg asked.

_"Oh it's just something I use on my horses sometimes when their traces are bothering them some..._" Jack replied.

_"Horse medicine? Are you sure about this Jack?_" Meg asked nervously.

_"Aw Meg, ha ha oh you'll be fine Meg, don't worry about it..._" Jack said as he finished with her hand and then gave it a little kiss._ "There ya go, good as new._" he said as he winked at her.

_"Okay if you say so...Oh what a way to start Christmas...ha ha..._" Meg chuckled as she glanced at Jack, and would have said more, except that their children interrupted them._ "Uh the babies are waking up, so I guess it really is Christmas now isn't it?"_

_"Yeah I guess so...ha ha nothing like kids at Christmas...Oh yeah I almost forgot, I need to bring in our gifts. I will be back in a while, no peaking!"_ Jack said as he ran out the door.

_"Be careful of the door...Uh too late I guess! Oh he's a silly daddy isn't he sweetie? Merry Christmas!"_ Meg said to her children as she changed their diapers an dressed them for the day.

Meg was just finishing with the children's needs, when Jack came bounding back through the door with a number of bulky, strangely wrapped gifts. Meg was inwardly wondering about Jack's gifts, but thought better of it than to question him aloud, so she thought to just bide her time to wait and see.

Meg gave her gifts to the delight of her husband and children. The children were so young that they appreciated whatever they received, while Jack mentioned to Meg how much he liked what she'd given him.

When it came to Jack's gifts, he let the pride shine in his eyes as each one opened their gifts from him. For Scarlett he'd made a doll cradle which he'd carved from a single log. For Henry he'd made a set of blocks and a train of sorts out of scraps of wood and some spools Meg had used. For Meg he had built a whatnot shelf for her to keep her treasures on, which she delighted in.

Then finally after all of the gifts had been given, Jack beckoned her forward where he asked _her, "So Meg what did you think of the Christmas gifts so far?" _

_"So far? Well I thought they were all quite nice. The children seem to love their toys and of course I love the cabinet you made for me. Thank you love!_" Meg said.

_"Well if you want it, I have something else for you...but if you don't want it..._" Jack teased.

_"Oh another gift? I'll take it, whatever it is."_ Meg replied.

Instead of speaking any more, he led her to the chairs once more, where he placed an envelope in her hand. She opened the envelope which contained a letter and a check. She noticed the check and scanned the letter, then _asked "What is the meaning of this? You didn't sell the farm did you?"_

_"No the farm is still ours.' If you look closely you'll notice that the check is from Mike and Julie Ross, and no they're not paying for your sister, so don't worry. They're giving us a love gift so that next spring we can build a new house..._" Jack explained.

_"Really? They're giving us a love gift for a new house, and you're accepting it! Oh that's so kind, so wonderful...it probably took a lot for you to accept it, but I'm glad you did._" Meg sighed understandingly.

_"Well you're right...but no matter I wanted you happy, and I realized that your happiness is worth more than my pride, so I accepted it._" Jack admitted quietly.

_"Oh Jack, thank you for everything...I love you!_" Meg said as she leaned forward and gave him a hug.

*~*~*~*

The winter continued on until eventually spring came on to the prairie home. Within a few weeks of the Spring thaw, Jack and Meg received a telegram from Mike and Julie Ross stating that Meg's sister Heather was doing fine and that they had a surprise for them in a few weeks. Meg wondered what the surprise was, but Jack only smiled slyly whenever Meg asked.

Finally the weeks passed, and suddenly Jack said that he wanted them to take a trip into town. After dropping the children off at the Nilsson's, Jack and Meg proceeded into town, which had grown somewhat since their last time there. Meg made note of it, then wondered when Jack stopped in front of the train station and waited there.

Suddenly the train pulled into the stop, where they waited until the dust settled a bit and the passengers disembarked. Eventually the baggage cars opened and along with the baggage, the porters began to unload a number of crates, which Meg asked about when she realized they had Jack's name on them. Before Jack could answer, Meg heard their named being called and turned around and suddenly saw Mike and Julie Ross along with Heather! Meg hurried toward Heather and gave her a hug, then looked up toward the Rosses. The Rosses smiled down at her, then said_ "You're probably wondering why we brought Heather here, well we did for a visit, but not only that we've come to bring you your house."_

_"Our house? How can that be?_" Meg asked.

_"Well did you see all of those boxes? Those are the pieces to your house."_ Julie explained.

_"My house?_" Meg asked.

_"It's what you call a prefabricated house, a kit that is assembled to create a house for your family._" Mike explained.

_"Oh really that is great! Thank you!_" Meg exclaimed.

The family spoke more then loaded the wagon with the crates that contained the pieces of their house and went on their way to their farm. When they arrived back, they noticed that many of Jack and Meg's neighbors had come to help raise their new house. The next few days were busy spent building the new house and visiting with Mike and Julie Ross and Heather.

On the last day, Meg drew Jack aside that evening, where they cuddled together looking at the stars. Then Jack spoke_ "So Meg what do you think of all of this?" _

_"Oh Jack it's so wonderful! Not only the new house and having Heather nearby once more, which I both appreciate. More importantly, however, was the way you cared. Oh Jack I can't begin to tell you how much I love you, how it all began at the train station, when you noticed me."_ Meg cried.

Jack drew her close and whispered in her _ear, "Oh Meg thank you...I love you too. You'll always be special to me, my love. I can't guarantee that our lives will be perfect in the future, but know that no matter what I'll love you." _

He held her close and stared at the stars, knowing that wherever life would lead, they had each other and the God would lead the way.


End file.
